Digimon Adventure: The Dark Digidestined
by DragonSoulH
Summary: One year after the 8 original Digidestined saved the Digital World they have been called back to rescue it from a new darkness. But unbeknownst to them the forces of Light have taken a risky gamble and selected a girl with a troubled past to inherit a new crest. But will she be able to overcome her past and assist the Digidestined or will the darkness swallow her and the Digiworld?
1. Chapter 1: It Begins Again

Chapter 1: It Begins Again

 **Upon the anniversary of the Digital World's rebirth,**

 **A great darkness shall appear from the gulf.**

 **Beneath black wings the phantoms will gather,**

 **And the land erupt into mayhem.**

 **The war of light and darkness within the hearts of the Chosen Children,**

 **Shall make friend into foe and foe into friend,**

 **And the shadows of chaos wash over the world.**

You paused, staring out over the lake. In your left hand was a cup of scraps from lunch and in your right was a fishing pole. You were looking for the perfect place to set up for angling.

The sun here was a bit too strong. You moved to the side and into the shade of a wide maple tree. Perfect!

With a flick of your arm you cast the fishing line out into the water and sat back to wait. As far as you were concerned the best part of fishing was the waiting. Your brother had been the same way, though he had never done much fishing.

It was also a good opportunity to reflect on all the weirdness that had been going on lately. You hadn't seen so much of that weirdness since arriving at summer camp but you had seen some very odd things before your mom dropped you off. Things like microwaves running by themselves, printers spitting out paper with incomprehensible symbols on it, and phone calls with modem noises in the speakers. All in all the happenings had reminded you exactly of what happened this same time last year: those strange few days when technology seemed to have lost its collective mind and a whole other world had appeared in the sky. There had been something in the news about whatever it was but it ended before anyone really knew for sure what was going on.

So much of that summer was a blur to you but you could remember an overwhelming feeling that you had missed out on something. Something important.

Now it seemed to be starting up all over again right as you left for summer camp. Technology was wigging out and you were getting that feeling like something big was gonna happen. It kept building and building making you uneasy and snappish. But today seemed like it gave some relief from the feeling so you were relaxing while you had the chance.

The maple leaves rustled in the wind and the spots of sunlight on your violet shirt danced back and forth. It was so peaceful, like - like -

 **The calm before the storm.**

'Well, that's not a very reassuring thought! And where did it come from?' you wondered.

Suddenly you jumped as your fishing reel began to whine and unspool. A fish! You'd hooked a fish!

"Awesome!" The fish put up a great fight but the outcome was inevitable. You reeled it in and held it up to admire it. It was the biggest fish you had ever caught, probably weighing fifty pounds! Or maybe just three pounds.

Then as you were trying to determine what kind of fish it was the sky suddenly went black as night. It instantly got your attention and you peered up at the source. It looked like a circular cloud - but that was impossible.

You dropped your rod and fish to put on your glasses. You were nearsighted so you needed the lenses to determine what it was that was hanging in the sky.

Not that they helped much. Whatever you were seeing was so odd that your brain just couldn't comprehend it. The closest comparison that you could think of was the whirlpool that formed when a full bathtub was draining. Or maybe in "Poltergeist" when the closet formed a pulsing tunnel of grossness. But the thing in the sky wasn't gross - just odd.

Then a bright light appeared in the center of the sky-tunnel and a fireball shot out. Coming directly at you!

You screamed and threw yourself back as the fireball hit the spot where you had been standing. Dirt and water sprayed everywhere and you even felt little rocks pelting your arms which you had thrown up to protect your face. Then, as the roar of the impact died away, you slowly uncovered your eyes to study the smoking crater. It was tiny considering the energy of the impact, essentially just a hole in the ground a few inches across.

"What the heck was that?!" you gasped.

Normally you would already have been running and probably would have made it to another continent by now, you were so startled. But for some reason you weren't moving. Even though it was scary, it was like you had been expecting it.

Your fear had diminished rapidly as you approached the hole again and from the bottom of it you could hear burbling. Then all trace of fear vanished as a glowing orb rose up out of the hole and hovered before you. This was what you had been waiting for.

You confidently reached out to the orb, which melted away at your touch. Something dropped from it and you caught it instinctively. Resting in your palm was a small, pale blue device with three buttons and a screen.

Then the lake exploded from its banks and you were swept away into its depths by a tidal wave.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, eight identical devices sounded and eight children knew they were needed.


	2. Chapter 2: Digital Monsters!

Chapter 2: Digital Monsters!

The pounding in your head pulled you out of your restful unconsciousness and you rubbed at your forehead, a futile effort. The rest of you ached too, as if some mighty giant had tied you in knots. Seriously, what had just happened to you?

You had a second of panic that quickly turned to relief when you reached up and felt your glasses in place. Your mom would have skinned you alive if you had lost them.

Then you suddenly heard something rustling to your left. Your eyes popped open for the first time and you rolled over, expecting to come face-to-face with a squirrel or a crow. You know, something cute with big eyes.

Instead it was a soccer-ball-sized pink hamster. It sat watching you with what appeared to be a smile.

"Yay! Charlotte is awake!" it cheered in a squeaky voice.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" you screamed. You flailed wildly and tried to scramble away from the strange creature but you just ended up smacking the back of your head against a tree. "What are you?!"

"I'm Tokomon!" it squealed. "Welcome to File Island!"

It hopped closer and you involuntarily cringed back. Your big brother had taught you when you were just a little kid not to approach wild animals. And, he had said, you should run if they ever approached you and were acting funny. Talking may not have been what he meant at the time but that was pretty funny behavior for an animal.

Tokomon noticed your anxiety and stopped, still out of reach. "Don't be afraid, Charlotte. I'm not going to hurt you, I want to be your friend."

"Friend. Right." You weren't going to fall for that one. "And I suppose those teeth of yours aren't for biting?"

"What, these?" Tokomon opened its mouth and to your horror you saw that behind the pair of tiny teeth you had noticed were rows and rows of dagger-like fangs. "I only use them for smiling!"

"I've got it, that meteor hit me on the head and gave me a concussion. I'm just imagining all this while I'm in the hospital," you babbled to yourself.

You reached up with one hand and started feeling all around the top of your head. Maybe you would be able to feel the lump even in your concussion-dream. But that had the effect of bringing your vision up out of the dirt to scan the surrounding forest. It was so surreal, you froze in disbelief.

There were all different kinds of trees around you, trees you had never seen before. They were layered so thickly overhead that the forest floor was practically in night. And the forest floor wasn't empty either - strange bushes with leaves covered in polka dots pressed in on you, some of them sporting bright flowers so big that you could have crawled inside them. The bushes too were like nothing you had ever seen before, not even on TV.

Gingerly you reached out to touch the nearest bush. Its leaves felt like a fern's.

"How strange," you murmured.

You looked around again to take it all in: the strange trees and bushes, the vines dangling down from the canopy. And the air was completely different from camp - it was so humid you could hardly breathe and the smells and sounds were all amplified and foreign to you.

"This is no hospital," you reasoned, "and it's not camp either." Then you remembered something that Tokomon had said. "Where did you say we are?"

"File Island!"

"Where's that?"

"It's in the Digital World!"

"And where's that?"

Clearly Tokomon didn't understand the question. "Ummm…"

"Never mind." To your surprise you were already getting used to talking to a little pink hamster. "I think I'm confused too."

Tokomon hopped right up next to you and balanced with its front paws on your leg. "It's okay, Charlotte. As long as we're together we can figure anything out!"

You blinked. That feeling of deja-vu was back again. Something about Tokomon's big black eyes staring at you reminded you of something from when you were very little…

Slowly you reached out and rested your hand gently on Tokomon's head. In response, he - you now knew unequivocally that he was a he \- giggled and rubbed against it like a cat.

"Hey, Tokomon? How did you know my name?"

"Because I'm your Digimon! I've been waiting for you forever."

"For me?" Something - someone - had been waiting for you?

"Yes! And now you're finally here!"

"But why am I here?" It was more of a question for yourself than for Tokomon. After all, if he had been waiting for you then he had known you would be coming. But who had brought you here? That was the million dollar question.

Then you suddenly had bigger things to worry about. The forest around you had been shadowy to begin with but without warning almost all the light faded away completely. Your first thought was that maybe it was nighttime now but you quickly dismissed that when you heard a great roar overhead, like a jet engine, and saw two bright balls of light falling to the ground.

You braced yourself for an explosion or an earthquake. But there was nothing. The loud noise as the lights fell through the sky simply died away.

"What the heck was that?"

You had just been talking to yourself, not expecting an answer. But apparently that wasn't how Tokomon understood it.

"Let's go see!" He bounded off through the dense underbrush and was gone in an instant.

"Hey, wait up!"

~Kari POV~

When I woke up I knew right away that I was in DigiWorld. After all, there aren't many jungles in Tokyo. But it wasn't a part of the DigiWorld that I had ever been to.

"Tai, we're back!" I cheered. I looked around, expecting him to be nearby just like when we had left for DigiWorld. But I didn't see him anywhere. "Tai? Tai!"

"Kari?"

The voice was distant but it didn't sound like my brother. "T.K.?"

"Yeah!" He sounded closer and then he suddenly popped out of some rustling bushes. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Me too. Have you seen my brother around?"

"No. Have you seen mine?"

"No." I was starting to feel worried. "I hope they're okay."

"I bet they're fine! They're probably waiting for us someplace nearby." He looked around, maybe to see if he could figure out where we were. "Ummm…"

"We should go this way," I said and pointed into the jungle.

"Huh? Why that way?"

"I'm not sure. I just feel something that way."

It wasn't my brother, I was pretty sure of that. Maybe it was one of the others? But deep down I felt like it was something new. And I just had the urge to go and find it, whatever it was.

"Hm, okay." Maybe T.K. felt it too. "Let's go see. But stay close, it's dangerous."

"Okay."

We began walking through the jungle in the direction I had picked, but luckily we didn't encounter any wild Digimon. Unfortunately we didn't find Gatomon or Patamon either. I had been hoping they were what I sensed.

But then as we were walking along a narrow path surrounded by lots of bushes, one of the bushes suddenly started to rustle. T.K. and I froze and waited for whatever it was to show itself.

"Or maybe we should run," I said after a moment.

It was too late though and the Digimon jumped out. It was Tokomon!

"Hi, Tokomon!" I said. I was so happy for T.K. - we had found his partner.

But T.K. didn't seem so excited. "Huh? Who are you?"

I was baffled. "Huh? T.K., that's Tokomon. Isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. But he's not my Tokomon."

"Oh!" said Tokomon. "More humans!"

"Hello there," I said nicely.

Then there was more rustling in the bushes and to our amazement a girl appeared!


	3. Chapter 3: Anime Comes in Handy

Chapter 3: Anime Comes in Handy

Finally, you had caught up to Tokomon! Mostly because he had stopped running but whatever. And to your surprise you found that he wasn't alone either. Two little kids were standing with him and they looked just as shocked to see you as you were to see them.

At first the three of you just stared at one another in silence. Your mind raced with questions.

"Look, Charlotte! I found more humans!"

Tokomon's squeaky voice brought you out of your stunned daze. "Yeah, you're right. But who are they?"

"I don't know. I've never seen humans before I met you. Don't you know them from your world?"

"My world is very big, Tokomon. Not everyone knows everyone else." You then focused on the kids, intending to get answers. "Who are you? Are you from camp too?"

The boy and girl exchanged a look and then the boy said something that you didn't catch because you had been expecting English. You heard enough to tell that it was Japanese but the full meaning went over your head.

"Sorry, could you say that again?" you asked in Japanese.

The boy looked relieved. "Oh, good, you speak Japanese! We haven't leaned much English yet."

"Yeah, thank goodness for anime club!" you chuckled. "Solving all my problems one after another."

"Who are you anyway?" the girl asked.

"I'm Charlotte, but you can call me Shar. And this is Tokomon."

Tokomon tugged at your jeans leg. "Can I call you Shar too? Please?"

"Sure!"

"I'm T.K."

"I'm Kari."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"So, now that we're all introduced, can you tell me where the heck we are?"

"This is the Digital World!" T.K. said cheerfully.

You smacked your face. Back to this again. "Then, do you know what the Digital World is?!"

"Ummm…"

If one more person or strange monster said that to you it would make you explode.

"I heard Izzy talking about it once," Kari said thoughtfully. "He said that the Digital World existed in a dimension parallel to Earth. He said some other stuff too but I didn't really understand the rest of it."

"A parallel dimension… What?" You had no idea what she was talking about.

"I know it's weird," T.K. said to you, "but it's true! We're in a whole different world right now!"

"But that's… not possible!" you cried. "Is it?"

"It's true, Shar!" Tokomon said. "DigiWorld is a different world from yours. There aren't any humans here, only Digimon."

"Digimon?"

"Digital Monsters!"

"I am so confused."

"Don't worry about it," T.K. told you.

"When we find the rest of our friends, they can help explain it," Kari said kindly. "I'm sure that they can do better than us."

"Oh!" Tokomon yelped.

You all looked at your little monster. "What's up, Tokomon?" you asked.

"I hear someone coming! From over there!"

"I bet it's our brothers!" T.K. said happily. "Hey, Matt!"

As the bushes rustled you saw Tokomon move in front of you protectively. You wondered why - did he hear something else?

Then out of the bushes burst a white cat with a long tail and some kind of big orange mouse with bat wings for ears. They looked larger and tougher than your Tokomon; hopefully they were friendly.

"Gatomon!" Kari cried.

"Patamon!" T.K. cheered.

"T.K.!" yelled the orange mouse.

"Kari!" yowled the white cat.

The two new monsters leapt into the arms of the kids and the four exchanged hugs. You watched them curiously. It was as if they already knew one another.

"I thought I heard you, T.K.!" Patamon said as he nuzzled against him. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Patamon! I missed you a lot!" T.K. gave Patamon a squeeze.

"Kari, you look taller." Gatomon stared at Kari with an appraising eye. "Do humans grow so quickly?"

"We do when we eat our vegetables. Do I look that different?"

"No, but I would know you anywhere!" Gatomon answered with a smile.

"Aw," Kari said and she hugged her Digimon tighter.

When they were done saying their hellos T.K. and Kari introduced you to their partner Digimon: Patamon, the orange mouse, was T.K.'s partner and Gatomon, the white cat, was Kari's. You quickly gathered that the kids had been to the Digital World before which was when they had met their Digimon. And it made you wonder about Tokomon - was he your partner in the same way?

"We were expecting you," Patamon informed your group.

It surprised you all. "Really? Why?" Kari asked.

"Strange things have been happening again," Gatomon said grimly. "In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the other Digimon partners were headed this way right now."

"That's great!" T.K. said. "Maybe Matt and Tai are nearby too!"

"Sorry T.K., but I don't think so," Patamon said. "I only saw you and Kari fall around here."

"I didn't see anyone else either," Gatomon added.

"I only saw Shar!" Tokomon offered helpfully.

"Aw man," T.K. sighed. "I guess that means we'll have to travel around the whole island to find everybody."

"Ummm…" Shar said hesitantly. "What about going home?"


	4. Chapter 4: Jungle Ambush!

Chapter 4: Jungle Ambush!

 **(A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long gap in postings but I've been in the middle of moving for the past month. I literally just got my internet set up yesterday! Here's a chapter to keep you occupied until I can get some more written! Stay tuned!)**

"Phew!" you gasped as you leaned back against one of the massive tropical-like trees. "Hang on a sec, you guys. I need a break."

"It's okay, Shar!" Tokomon said. He'd been hopping right alongside you the entire time and he stopped just as soon as you did. "I need a rest too."

"Aw, come on you guys," Gatomon said. "Get the lead out."

"Sorry, Gatomon," you said. "I've never walked so much before. My legs are tired."

"It's okay," Kari said. "Let's all take a rest."

The kids and their Digimon came and sat with you by the large tree and you saw a secret look of relief on T.K.'s face. Clearly the hike had been rough on more than just you.

"Gatomon," Kari said after you'd all settled into a circle, "what were you saying before about strange things happening?"

"It's just like before," Gatomon said. "A lot of wild Digimon have been acting strange and have been attacking each other. Not only that but the ground all around Mount Infinity has been rumbling and quaking. The Digimon who haven't gone crazy are very worried."

"Mount Infinity?" T.K. asked. "Oh, I hope it's not Devimon again!"

"Excuse me, who?" you asked. You hoped that you'd just misheard that name. "It sounded like you said 'devil'…"

"Yeah," T.K. said sadly. "He's a big evil Digimon that lives on top of Mount Infinity. We fought him before…"

He trailed off and got such an expression of of sadness on his face that you felt your heartstrings being tugged. "And what happened?" you asked softly.

After a bit of thoughtful quiet T.K. continued his story. "Patamon digivolved to Angemon and we won. But Angemon used up all his energy to do it."

"But I came back T.K.," Patamon said gently. The little monster perched on T.K.'s head, pushing his hat over his eyes. "Don't be sad. I'll always come back!"

That broke the gloom and T.K. chuckled as he hugged Patamon close. "I'm glad!"

You watched the two of them with mixed emotions. Your older brother had told you that he would always come back whenever he went away. And it had been true… Except for the very last time…

But your brother was no liar. He would come back someday. Just like Patamon.

Suddenly Gatomon gasped and stood up. She faced out into the jungle and just stared intently.

"What is it, Gatomon?" Kari asked.

"I hear something coming."

You all looked in the direction Gatomon was focused on but you didn't see anything wrong; the sun was shining, the trees were rustling. But when the wind calmed and the rustling stopped the jungle was eerily silent. There were no birds or bugs like there had been before and the hair rose on the back of your neck.

Then something big, ugly, and red leapt out of the underbrush with a roar and charged your little group. You yelped and dodged to the left with Tokomon as the kids and their Digimon bolted right. The red monster hit the tree you had all been sitting by and easily snapped it off. You gaped in shock - the truck had been thicker than most dinner tables!

The monster turned towards you and you shivered. It was like a man with rust-colored skin, enormous horns and fangs, and a large spiked club. He glared at you with dark eyes and growled.

"Oh no!" Tokomon cried. "It's Fugamon!"

"It's who?!" you wailed. "Can someone please provide some explanations here?!"

"Fugamon is a virus-type Ogre Digimon," Tokomon elaborated. "He's a big bully who likes to pick on weaker Digimon for fun!"

"Heh heh," Fugamon cackled. "Well, aren't we a little smartypants?! So who's your weird-looking friend?"

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" you huffed irritably. "At least I don't look like I'm on my way to an ugly-costume party!"

"You watch what you say, girlie!" Fugamon snarled. "Or I'll give you a beating you won't forget!"

Tokomon jumped in front of you as Fugamon pointed his club in your direction. "You leave Shar alone!" he barked, showing his shark-like fangs. "Or else you'll get the beating!"

"Oh, yeah?!" the ogre laughed. "You and what army?!"

" **Boom Bubble!** " A rush of air shot past you and struck Fugamon squarely in his ugly face, sending him stumbling back.

Then, before he could recover, Gatomon darted past you and leaped. " **Lightning Paw!** "

She punched Fugamon and as he fell back again you felt a tug on your arm.

It was T.K. "Come on, Shar!" he said urgently. "Let's run!"

You didn't want to run, you wanted to stay and stand up to the bully and make him run. That's what you and your brother always did. But as the thought crossed your mind, you spotted Kari standing behind T.K. watching the fight apprehensively and you were struck by another realization. You were now in the position of your older brother with these kids and they weren't fighters like you. And anyway it wasn't some punk teen with an attitude that you were facing, it was a monster with a weapon bigger than your body. This was dangerous. And now you were expected to be the responsible one in charge.

"Let's go," you said and scooped up Tokomon.

You ran for a gap in the brush and luckily found yourself on a clear trail through the jungle growth. With a quick glance backward to make sure your new friends were following you, you began to sprint. It was rough going over the uneven forest floor and more than once you strained your muscles painfully to keep from slipping and falling. And judging by the noises behind you, the kids weren't much more graceful than you.

Then suddenly there was a resounding crash and Fugamon burst out of the jungle and onto the path directly in front of you. He looked furious and you could see scratches and bumps all over him - probably from Gatomon and Patamon.

"I'M GONNA PUMMEL YOU INTO DUST!" he bellowed and he charged with his club raised high.

"Quick, this way!" T.K. cried and you turned just in time to see him and Kari duck onto a smaller side path.

You started to follow them when without warning Tokomon growled and leapt out of your arms. "Leave Shar alone!" he squeaked. " **Bubble Blow!** "

A stream of pink bubbles struck Fugamon but they didn't even slow him down. "You're first! **Evil Hurricane!** "

Wind concentrated around his fist and he punched in Tokomon's direction. A wad of air shaped like a bullet struck your little Digimon and he was thrown back with a yelp of pain.

"Tokomon!" you screamed. Instinctively you dove forward onto your stomach and caught the poor guy in your arms.

You barely even felt the pain as roots and rocks sliced the skin of your elbows to ribbons. Instead you bounced up and darted for the gap that T.K. and Kari had disappeared into. It wasn't a moment too soon - the sound of splintering wood just behind your head nearly deafened you.

This path was even harder to follow than the last one. Bushes crowded the edges and the leaves struck you repeatedly in the face, arms, and legs as you ran. And no matter how hard you pushed yourself, you heard the grunts and pounding footsteps of Fugamon close behind.

But you held onto the hope of escape - until you found yourself and the others backed up against a raging river.

"Ha ha ha!" Fugamon cackled as he caught up to you all. "Now I've got you!"

"I'm sorry, Shar," Tokomon mumbled. "He was just too strong."

"It's okay, Tokomon," you said and you stroked him softly. "You did your best."

"We'll take it from here!" Patamon barked.

He and Gatomon jumped forward to attack. But suddenly there was a great rumbling from underground and a nebulous blackness oozed up from the dirt. It wrapped itself around Patamon and Gatomon and to your horror they dropped to the ground like stones.

"Patamon!"

"Gatomon!"

You were confused. "What happened to them?!" you cried.

Then Tokomon started struggling. "Shar, look out!"

You noticed more darkness gathering around your feet and licking up your legs and you screamed in fear.

Tokomon pushed himself out of your arms and started running in the direction of Fugamon and the two smaller Digimon who were still wrapped in that weird shadow. In reaction the darkness at your feet surged like a wave to follow him.

"This is too easy!" Fugamon yelled. "Three birds with one swing!"

His club whistled as it cut through the air towards the three helpless Digimon. And as the rolling darkness closed in on them from the other side, your heart clenched with terror. You had to do something!

The next few seconds were a blur to you. There was a high-pitched electronic whine at your hip and a burst of light. That light and the darkness from before wrapped together around your Tokomon, swirling about faster and faster.

"Tokomon digivolve to - Tsukaimon!"

A bigger blue Digimon had taken Tokomon's place in the air above Patamon and Gatomon. It dodged around the flying club and to your astonishment it tackled Fugamon in the face with a fierce cry. " **Shadow Slam!** "

"Argh!" Fugamon fell back and his club missed the helpless rookie Digimon on the ground.

As he landed flat on his back and his weapon skidded away and splashed into the river, the blue Digimon landed in an aggressive stance. "You wanna piece of me?!" he demanded. "Come get some!"

"I'll get you for that!" Fugamon struggled back up and drew back to punch the new Digimon. " **Evil Hurricane!** "

" **Purple Haze!** " The Digimon dodged and spat a ball of purple gas at Fugamon, striking him in the eyes. And right behind the projectile the Digimon tackled Fugamon in the face. " **Shadow Slam!** "

You were in shock. The new blue Digimon showered attacks upon Fugamon, driving the monster back and away from Gatomon and Patamon. He seemed to have an uncanny instinct for knowing exactly when to dodge and how to break through the enemy's defenses.

Finally, with his back up against the river and unable to dodge any more attacks, Fugamon seemed to decide to cut his losses and run. He turned and dove into the river, swimming swiftly and powerfully to the other side. Once out, he turned and gave you all one last glare.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" he bellowed. "I'll have my revenge!"


	5. Chapter 5: First Fight Aftermath

Chapter 5: First Fight Aftermath

As Fugamon vanished into the jungle on the other side of the river, you sank to the ground with relief. You'd never been so scared in your whole life. You let out a sigh.

T.K. and Kari rushed past you towards their little fallen friends. You heard them talking to them worriedly but the words were indistinct since your attention was on other things. The sound of flapping broke through your distraction and then the little blue Digimon landed before you.

"Shar! You okay?!" he asked urgently.

"Yeah, I think so," you replied slowly. "Except you're blue now, Patamon!"

"Hey, I'm not Patamon!" he barked, standing up on his hind feet and putting his hands where his hips would've been. "I'm Tsukaimon! I'm a virus-type Mammal Digimon known as the messenger of the Underworld!"

"Oh!" You digested that bit of information. "I don't suppose you know what happened to Tokomon? He was standing right where you appeared."

"I am Tokomon!"

"You are?!"

"Well I was. I Digivolved!"

"You… diggy-balled?"

"DIGIVOLVED!" Tsukaimon snapped. Your lack of understanding seemed to really be irritating him. "Do all humans lack hearing or are you just dumb?!"

"Hey, sue me! I've never heard that word before!" You glared daggers at him. "Are you sure you're Tokomon?! You don't act like him."

"Hmph!" He crossed his arms and looked away as he sat down. "This is my thanks for protecting you?"

"Well, just lighten up," you said. "It's not like I'm trying to annoy you. I just don't know any of this stuff."

Tsukaimon opened one eye and turned his head slightly to glance at you. Then he rubbed one of his long ear-wings. "Yeah, fine," he muttered gruffly. He offered you his little paw.

You knelt down and shook the offered paw, the two of you exchanging tentative smiles.

"Gatomon! Are you okay?!"

"Patamon! Open your eyes!"

"Huh?" Simultaneously you and Tsukaimon took note of the fear and panic in T.K.'s and Kari's voices and looked over. The two kids were cradling their partners who you could tell, even from a distance, were limp and unmoving.

Tsukaimon tugged at your hand. "Come on, Shar! We need to get over there!"

"Right!" The two of you rushed over and you knelt between the two kids. "How are they?"

"I think they're okay, but they aren't waking up!" Kari said and you could hear the tears in her voice.

"Kari?" Gatomon mumbled.

"T.K.?" Patamon whispered.

"Gatomon!"

"Patamon!"

"Woah, you guys! Don't hug them so tight, they can't breathe!"

"Oops!"

"What they really need is to eat something," Tsukaimon told you. "Digimon should eat when they're weak."

"Uh oh. I don't have any food," you said. "And I don't think that there are any restaurants around here."

"That's right," Kari answered. "And restaurants in Digiworld might not be real restaurants anyway."

"Well, that's weird. So where do we get food?"

"We can get fish from the river," T.K. said, "and the jungle should have lots of fruit in the trees."

"Okay," you said. "Tsukaimon, you and I will go out and find some fruit. T.K. and Kari, why don't you both stay here and try catching some fish? We'll be close by so just shout if you need us."

"Right!" T.K. said. "I'll make a fishing pole! Kari, keep an eye on Patamon, 'kay?"

"You can count on me!" Kari moved herself and the Digimon into the shade as T.K. started foraging for fishing materials and you and Tsukaimon walked off into the jungle.

Almost immediately the two of you found some short mushrooms with shiny golden caps. You pointed them out to your partner. "What about those?"

"Uh uh," he answered. "Those make you dizzy."

"Yuck! Don't want that." You walked on and then you spotted some leaves that looked familiar. "Oh, those are…"

"Digicarrots!" Tsukaimon declared with a voice full of satisfaction. "Those are great for energy!"

"Vegetables? Gross!" But you helped him dig them up; your friends needed them. "We need more though."

"That's the good thing about Digicarrots. They always grow beneath Power Bananas!"

You looked at the tree-like plant but there was no fruit on it. "But there's no bananas on here."

"They've probably been picked already. But if we find more banana plants we can find more carrots!"

"Oh! I get it!" You quickly spotted more of the leafy trunks and darted over. "Hey, and there're bananas here!"

"You dig the carrots, I'll pick the bananas."

Getting the carrots out of the ground was relatively simple and afterwards you looked up to see how Tsukaimon was faring with the fruit. Obviously he was struggling; instead of going after the bananas one-by-one, he was trying to pull the whole bunch loose. He was flapping hard and grunting, clearly straining from the effort.

You smiled tolerantly. "Need help there?"

"No!" he snapped. "I can do it myself!"

"Sure about that?"

"Yes! Now be quiet and let me concentrate!"

"Okay." You gathered the carrots into a big leaf and wrapped them up, then sat down to watch the show.

There was a pause as Tsukaimon rested then he resumed his fight. He seemed to have noticed you watching - he was pulling so hard you half-expected his arms to pop off.

Then, just as you expected, the breaking point was reached. Tsukaimon lost his grip and flew loose with a squeal to crash into the bushes behind you. Instantly you threw your head back and roared with laughter.

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" Tsukaimon raged as he came busting out of the bush he'd landed in. He tackled you and started pulling at your mid-length honey-colored hair. "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

"I think it's a little funny," you said and Tsukaimon pinched your cheek in retaliation. "Cal' down. I'll help 'ou."

Rather than pulling the whole bunch to try and get them loose, you reached into your back pocket and brought out your older brother's pocket knife. He'd given it to you before he left, saying that this way he could still look after you even when he was far away. You treasured it and always kept it with you, though it usually just stayed in your pocket.

You easily got the banana bunch loose, much to Tsukaimon's disgust, and you called an end to the foraging. There wasn't much variety but at least none of you would go hungry. And with some fish added too, it would be quite a good meal.

The two of you headed back to the others, lugging your bounty along. You found that Kari and T.K. had been busy while you were gone - there was a little fire going and already some fish were staked next to it to cook. T.K. was still dangling a line into the water to try for more.

"We're back!" you announced. "We got bananas and carrots!"

"Great!" Kari answered. She was next to the fire, watching the fish and feeding the flames with twigs. Patamon and Gatomon were beside her but you couldn't tell if they were awake or asleep.

You left Tsukaimon and the bananas with her and took the carrots to the river to wash them off. T.K. helped after catching one last fish and then the two of you walked back to the campsite together.

An encouraging sight greeted you - Patamon and Gatomon were both awake and eating. As soon as he saw his friend was okay again, T.K. went rushing over with a cry of joy, the fish on the end of his line bouncing wildly. You also hurried over, anxious to eat and to find out just what had happened to knock them out like that.

"Phew! Fish is just what I needed!" Gatomon sighed when she finished eating.

"Me too!" Patamon added.

"Me three!" you chimed in.

"So, Patamon. What happened to you back there?" T.K. asked.

"What was that darkness?" Kari asked.

"I have no idea," Gatomon said. "That's never happened before."

"It was awful. That darkness surrounded us and drained all our strength," Patamon told you all.

You thought carefully about that. The darkness had come from underground and struck them down. It was obvious that it had been the force that stole their strength away. But even though the darkness had been seething at your feet it hadn't attacked you. Was your energy not what it wanted? Or maybe you didn't have enough of it to bother with? No, it seemed more like the darkness had wanted to attack you but it was afraid to…

Equally worrying, when Tokomon had jumped away from you, the darkness had chased him down. Worse yet, when it caught up to him, it had given him power instead of taking it away!

Could that mean… was that darkness somehow your doing?! But you'd just found out about Digimon, you didn't want to hurt them!

All of a sudden you didn't feel much like eating.


	6. Chapter 6: Mansion of Shadows

Chapter 6: Mansion of Shadows

The next day dawned on a more positive note. Not only were Patamon and Gatomon completely recovered from their ordeal but you also made a great discovery about the Power Bananas. Freshly picked they tasted just like normal bananas, but when roasted they took on a whole new flavor.

You discovered this fact purely due to boredom. While T.K. and Kari slept you had stayed mostly awake to keep watch and keep the fire going. Sometime after midnight you came up with the bright idea of roasting the food you had gathered so it would last longer. And when you tried one of the roasted bananas, you found that it now tasted like apple-cinnamon! It made no sense - but in this world that was to be expected.

After breakfast your group continued walking through the jungle, heading in the general direction of the mountains in the center of the island. The biggest, Mount Infinity, reached up to the sky! In fact, due to the clouds around it, you couldn't tell how high it really was.

"Hey, why are we going towards Mount Infinity anyway?" you asked.

"That's cuz the last time we were here, the island's problems were caused by Devimon," T.K. explained. "And his secret base was on top of Mount Infinity."

"So, we're thinking that whatever is causing the island's problems now would also be up there?"

"Makes sense to me!" Patamon said.

"It's going to be a long hike," Gatomon warned. "And there's no telling how many evil Digimon we'll encounter on the way up."

"But we're just kids!" you protested. "Can't somebody else do this?!"

"It doesn't work like that, Shar," Tsukaimon told you.

"We're the only ones who can do this," T.K. said firmly.

"It's our destiny," Kari added. "That's why you received a Digivice and a Digimon."

"Hmm." You rolled your eyes up to catch a glimpse of Tsukaimon riding on top of your head. You already wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, but facing more evil monsters like Fugamon was not at all appealing. Not that you were one to back down from a fight - after your brother had left you'd had to protect yourself from the ever-present bullies in your neighborhood. Fighting had become part of growing up - but bullies were one thing; giant digital monsters were something else entirely.

"Hey, what's that?"

Tsukaimon's question brought you out of your preoccupation and you took a look around at your surroundings. Most of the jungle was was behind you now and you were into semi-arid wasteland. Then you saw what had caught your partner's attention - off to the left was a black wrought-iron fence twisted and bent into irregular humps. It ran for leagues into the distance over hills and around bends in the terrain.

"It's a fence," Kari said.

"Looks like the fence for a haunted house," you observed.

"Then I guess that's the haunted house up there."

You looked where T.K. was pointing and saw that on top of a hill behind the fence was a huge old house. It wasn't castle-like exactly, but it did have a certain gothic look to it. Despite the clear weather overhead both the building and its grounds seemed to be covered in shadow.

"Would there be any people there?" you asked. "Or would it just be ghosts?"

"It would probably be a Digimon," Tsukaimon said. "But I don't know any Digimon that live in buildings."

"Hey wait! Maybe Matt and the others are up there waiting for us!" T.K. said excitedly.

Kari gasped in response. "Yeah! I bet Tai is waiting for us there! That's exactly what he'd do!"

"Let's head there then!" you declared. "At least we can get out of this heat for a while."

You took a single step and suddenly a screech cut through the air. Two lithe shadows broke loose from a nearby ledge and charged at you, claws and fangs bared to attack.

"Watch out!" Gatomon shouted. "Those are Darkrizamon!"

"Run!" Patamon cried.

You all began sprinting, following the fence line. "What the heck are Darkrizamon?!" you wailed.

"They're a type of lizard Digimon cloaked in black flames that live in the borderlands between light and dark!" Tsukaimon replied as he flapped along beside you.

"They're very aggressive!" Patamon added. "They won't stop chasing us until we reach the edge of their territory!"

"Less chatter, more running!" Gatomon ordered.

But no sooner had she said it than Kari tripped and fell to the ground with a cry. T.K. had been right beside her and immediately stopped to help, but you and the Digimon were a bit farther ahead.

"Kari!"

"T.K.!"

With a single glance you knew that the two kids wouldn't be able to escape the Darkrizamon without help. Their partners were rushing back to them but if that strange oozing blackness attacked now they'd all be done for!

Then Tsukaimon shot past overhead towards the Darkrizamon. He outpaced Patamon and Gatomon, but at the last second he swooped to come in at an angle. You were confused by the move until…

" **Shadow Slam!** " He struck the lead Darkrizamon at an angle that sent it flying into the second and they both went tumbling away.

"Shar! We'll handle these guys!" he called. "You three keep running! Get somewhere safe!"

" **Lightning Paw!** "

" **Boom Bubble!** "

"Come on! Run as fast as you can!"

This time you kept the kids in view as you ran. Without the Digimon partners by your side you'd have to be responsible for keeping them safe. But just over the next hill you saw an escape route: a gap in the fence framed by a creepy-looking gothic gate. But as eerie as it was, the inside was shadowy and perfect for hiding.

You led the kids inside and too late you discovered that the gate led to a cemetery. A chill ran up your spine but you didn't slow. The three of you ducked down behind a headstone and froze.

Two sets of running feet came so close to your hiding spot that you started to plan a diversion so the kids could get away. But then the sounds stopped. You took a chance and peeked around the tombstone.

The Darkrizamon were right on top of you! You tensed for an attack but then you saw that they weren't moving. They had stopped just outside the gate only a few feet away, and were growling aggressively at you. Then with a snort they turned and walked away.

"That was weird," you commented.

"No kidding!"

It startled you to hear Gatomon's voice above your head. Looking up though, you saw that she was being carried through the air towards you by Patamon and Tsukaimon. They all looked unhurt and you were relieved.

All three landed atop the headstone you'd hidden behind. "I don't get it," Tsukaimon said. "They knew you were hiding here. Why did they run?"

"They didn't really run," Kari said. "They gave up and left."

"But why would they do that?" Patamon asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"That's part of what I meant when I said that the wild Digimon are acting strange. They attack for no reason, behave oddly, and some of them have even begun to lose their speaking skills." Gatomon hopped to the ground and pointed up the hill behind you. "In the meantime, we should head to the house up there. It's already dusk."

"But wasn't it like noon?" you wondered.

"Hey, yeah," T.K. said uneasily. "Why'd it get dark?"

You glanced at the gateway that the three of you had come through. The divide between light outside and shadows within was clearly defined and there was no visible cause for it. Even the dark sky overhead had no clouds - it was simply dark.

"I think it's just how this area is," you mused. "Outside it's noon but in here it's sunset."

All of you, including the Digimon, looked around uneasily. However the graveyard was silent and still and unthreatening. Even that strange oozing blackness was nowhere around. So, despite the gloom, the graveyard seemed harmless.

"I think we're okay," Kari said.

You agreed. "But don't let your guard down. It's still the Digiworld."

"Too true," Gatomon added. "Digimon, fan out!"

She took the point to lead you all while Tsukaimon and Patamon flew on either side to protect you. The walk was silent and uneventful but the whole way you could sense eyes watching you from no specific direction. Judging by the expressions of T.K. and Kari, they too felt the eyes upon you. But you saw nothing and nothing emerged to confront your group.

An eerie breeze rushed past and you shivered.

"Don't worry, Shar! If anything shows up, I'll take it down!" Tsukaimon flapped proudly beside you, swooping to check behind trees and headstones as your group walked. "Nothing will get past me!"

Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to show off his battle skills again - you all made it to the mansion on the hill without incident. You all moved carefully across the porch and cautiously cracked open the enormous double doors. The loud creak echoed ominously in the cavernous entryway.

Surprisingly it was well-lit inside. The mansion looked to be two stories, but they weren't at the typical scale. The ceiling was so far above you that you practically needed binoculars to see it. In front of you was a massive staircase leading up to the balcony on the second floor. Doors ringed both floors, glaring at you suspiciously.

"Wow," you said. "I've never seen a place so cool and so creepy at the same time."

"Tai! Hey, Tai, where are you?"

"Matt, are you here?"

Their calls faded away into the silence. Or was that murmuring you heard from the corners of the room? Nothing was there, of course, but that feeling of being watched hadn't diminished.

"Should we look around for them?" Patamon asked uncertainly.

"I don't know," Kari replied. "This looks like a house. Do you think it's okay?"

"My brother always said that it's better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission," you answered philosophically. "Besides, it's not like we're here to steal anything. If we encounter the owner and they're upset, we'll just apologize and leave."

"And if they're really upset I'll give 'em a good smackdown!" Tsukaimon announced.

You snatched him out of the air and gave him a teasing poke in the cheek. "That's enough out of you!"

Your group began to explore the mansion's first floor, making sure to carefully survey a room before entering. There was no one around, but the muttering from the corners was still following you.

Then, in what appeared to be a storage room on the other side of a kitchen, you all found the first living being in the mansion. A brown cloth sack was fidgeting and noises were coming from it. You and the kids exchanged a look and then you motioned them back against the wall. The Digimon stuck close to you as you started to untie the top of the sack. As it fell away from the figure inside both Patamon and Gatomon gasped.


	7. Chapter 7: Digidestined a la Mode

Chapter 7: Digidestined a la Mode

"Gabumon!"

The figure was a yellow Digimon with a horn in its forehead wearing a pelt of light blue fur with dark stripes. Its mouth was taped shut and it was wrapped up with rope.

As it stared up at you with wide eyes, you turned to Patamon and Gatomon. "A friend of yours?"

"Gabumon!" Now T.K. and Kari ran over and T.K. immediately began undoing the ropes that bound the Digimon.

"T.K.!" Gabumon's voice was low like Tsukaimon's but without the rough, raspy edge to your partner's. "I'm so glad to see you!"

He stood up to hug the boy and you were surprised by how big he was. Gabumon was twice the size of the other Digimon and of equal height to the kids. 'I guess Digimon come in all shapes and sizes, just like people.'

"Thanks for the help. It was getting stuffy in that bag."

"You're welcome." You debated offering a handshake - did he have hands? - but instead bowed to him. "My name is Shar."

He bowed back. "My name is Gabumon."

"What happened to you, Gabumon?" Patamon asked. "How did you end up in this place?"

"I'm not sure." Gabumon looked around as if he hadn't seen these surroundings before. "I was just minding my own business in the Misty Forest the other day when darkness surrounded me and I blacked out."

"I wonder if it was the same darkness that we encountered before?" Kari wondered.

"It was almost like water. I saw it flowing along the ground and then it jumped up and wrapped around me," Gabumon explained.

It was an unpleasantly familiar image. You vividly recalled how the ooze had drained the energy from Patamon and Gatomon and how it had then come after you and Tokomon. It wasn't hard to believe that Gabumon would've been knocked out when the darkness had got him.

"We should hurry and leave this place," you said urgently. "If that darkness brought Gabumon here then we could be in danger too."

"She's right. Let's make tracks out of here!" Gabumon ordered.

"Okay!" Tsukaimon said. "Which way?"

"Um…" You, Kari, and T.K. looked at the two doors which opened into the storeroom. Judging by their faces, they couldn't remember where you had come from. Even worse, you couldn't remember either.

You gave yourself a mental kick. You were the oldest - you should've been paying attention to the turns the group was making.

But before you could get too down on yourself Gabumon spoke up. "Don't worry everyone. I'm sure we can find our way out in no time."

"Yeah, I'm sure we can!" T.K. said cheerfully. "At least nobody lives here to get mad at us for wandering around."

Suddenly snickering burst out of a corner near the ceiling and you all whirled around to look. Smoky grayness was swirling around menacingly and it was from there that the laughter was emanating.

Your reaction was instinctive - you shoved the kids and Digimon through the nearest door with the shout to run and followed them closely. You shut the door behind you all, wishing it had a lock on it, and darted across this room towards the next door. A portion of your brain noticed that this was not the kitchen you had come through before - you'd taken a wrong turn in your rush. But there wasn't anything you could do about it now; the shadows were chasing after you.

And they were fast. A shadow shot past you and wrapped around Gabumon before you could react. He cried out and then vanished before your eyes.

"Gabumon!" T.K. cried.

"He just vanished!" Kari gasped.

More shadows were closing in and you pushed the kids on into yet another room. Here there were stairs and you all ran up to the second floor.

But you weren't fast enough. At the top of the stairs darkness closed in around your group again. This time T.K. and Gatomon were swallowed up, leaving only you, Tsukaimon, Kari, and Patamon.

"T.K.!" Patamon wailed tearfully.

"Gatomon, no!" Kari looked as if she wanted to run back and physically rescue her partner but you grabbed her before she could.

"Stay back, Kari! It'll get you too!" you cried.

"Come on, Patamon!" your partner shouted. "We've gotta protect them!"

Tsukaimon charged and after a second of hesitation Patamon joined him. They swooped at the threatening shapes and launched attack after attack.

" **Boom Bubble!** "

" **Purple Haze!** "

They simply didn't have the speed to keep up though. The shadows danced and whirled across the walls, easily outpacing the two winged Digimon and their projectiles. Then they struck back.

"No!" you shouted as the shadows grabbed them and they vanished.

Now the shadows focused on you and Kari. They circled like sharks and Kari clung to you tightly. You pushed her so her back was against the wall and took a protective stance in front of her. You could handle yourself in a fight, though a fight against shadows was unusual. But backing down wasn't an option with Kari relying on you.

"Come on, you cowards! Show yourselves!" you snarled. "I'll give you a fight you won't forget!"

The small shadows continued to circle closer. But wait - was that the black ooze from your fight with Fugamon?! The corners of the room were gloomy to begin with but you could see pitch blackness squeezing through the cracks of the wood like moisture. It creeped along the ceiling and floor towards you.

Then your attention was diverted and a thrill of fear ran up your spine as the small shadows all converged on you and Kari. She gasped and you tensed, ready to punch or flail or… something.

The shadows rose up and took shape. Their new appearance gave you no more comfort than when they'd been darting formless shadows - they were ghosts the size of T.K. and Kari, covered by a ragged white sheet. They had glowing red eyes and mouths filled with large fangs, much like Tokomon had had.

They stared at you and you stared right back. No one moved.

Suddenly your digivice, that strange device that had fallen out of the sky at camp, beeped loudly from its position at your hip and it emitted a brilliant flash of light. You flinched but the ghosts still didn't move.

After the flash you looked back at the ghost Digimon. To your surprise they were smiling!

One drifted forward and bowed before you could take the chance to strike out at it. "Welcome your Highness!"

You stared for a minute and then glanced at Kari. She looked just as confused as you felt. Could the ghosts be talking about her?

Then several more glided up to you and took hold of your arms and shirt, gently pulling you forward. "Huh?!"

"Yes, you, your Highness!" they said cheerfully. "We Bakemon have been waiting so long for you to come! Hail the Queen of the Bakemon!"

You looked at the ring of black eyes and white sheets all around you and your surreal situation momentarily left you speechless. What were they talking about? Waiting for you - like Tokomon? And how on earth were you the queen of anything, let alone a bunch of digital ghosts? WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD?!

"Wait, wait," you said, resisting their relentless pull. "If you're so happy to see me, then why were you chasing us?!"

"Umm…" The Bakemon looked at one another in confusion. "We were?"

"Yes-" Then the memory of the blackness in the corners darted across your mind and you glanced up. Nothing was there anymore, just normal wood and shadows.

"That can't be right." There was a moment of contemplation and then the Bakemon resumed pulling you. "Well regardless, you're welcome now. Come, we're going to have a feast to celebrate your long-awaited arrival!"

"Kari!" you said as you looked back over your shoulder. "My friend comes too."

"Of course." The Bakemon drifted up to flank Kari, though they didn't touch her, and they guided you back down the stairs and through a couple of rooms until you were once again in the entry hall in front of the huge staircase. Now there were Bakemon everywhere, floating along the second floor balcony and through the doorways. As your group passed they all waved to you and called out greetings. You and Kari waved back, though not as excitedly as them.

Then you entered the dining room. Apparently while you'd been talking to Gabumon and running for your lives, the Bakemon had decked the place out for their feast. Sconces lined along the walls and candelabras on the table were glowing with flickering light and the table itself was draped with a heavy, luxurious, wine-colored cloth framed by gold lattice. The solid wood chairs were upholstered with a similar fabric of deep red and each was like a throne unto itself. Serving vessels, plates, bowls, utensils - even in the dim light you could see the gleam of gold and silver. Each place was also set with a crystal goblet filled with what you hoped only looked like blood.

"Wow!" you exclaimed. "This is beautiful!"

"Of course, your Highness! We would only use the finest flatware for this long-awaited miracle!"

"But where are T.K. and the Digimon?" Kari asked worriedly.

With your eyes now adjusted to the gloom you could see she was right - aside from a flock of hovering Bakemon the dining room was empty. "Yeah, what gives?" you demanded of your guides. "What did you do with them?"

"Never fear, your Highness, the intruders have been dealt with."

'I don't like the sound of that,' you thought anxiously.

"What do you mean?! What did you do to Gatomon?!" Kari wailed.

"Did you hurt them?" you growled.

"I don't know. They're in the kitchen. Undoubtedly the chefs are preparing them into a delicious meal in your honor."

"What?!"

"Of course! It's not every day that we have such tender Digimon arrive here in time for dinner."

"No!" you and Kari cried.

"You can't eat them!" you said. "They're our friends! We won't let you!"

The Bakemon looked shocked by your passionate outburst. "But… your Highness…"

"No!" you ordered. You shifted into a defiant stance and pointed a finger directly at the closest Bakemon's face. "If I'm really your queen then you have to listen to me! And I say that no one eats my friends! Now, bring them here unhurt!"

For a second all the Bakemon stayed frozen with indecisiveness but then the one you were pointing at sighed. "As her Highness commands."

At his words several of the Bakemon rushed out through a far door and you exhaled with relief.

"I'm sorry if we upset you, Highness. We were simply trying to properly welcome you with an excellent meal." The Bakemon glanced at the table and let out a disappointed sound. "But without fresh-cooked Digimon and a side of young human, this feast is a disgrace for every Bakemon in the Digital World."

Great. Now you felt guilty; of all the crazy emotions to feel after refusing to let digital ghosts cook your friends.

"Um… Listen," you began. "I appreciate the thought and all, but I would've been more upset if you'd eaten T.K. and the Digimon. And I'm sure your chefs can cook up something else that's just as great! What do you guys have around? I'm not bad with a frying pan."

"Oh no, your Highness! We couldn't ask you to cook for us! Even if we had the ingredients for another dish."

"Pshaw!" you scoffed. "We'll think up something to cook for everyone. And if I gotta be somebody's queen, I'm not gonna be the sort of queen who sits around being waited on."

Then the far door burst open and in ran faces you feared you'd never see again.

"T.K.! Gatomon!"

"Guys!"

"Kari! Shar!"

Tsukaimon flew straight to you and leapt into your arms. "Shar! I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Ditto!" You squeezed him as hard as you could, marveling at how he seemed completely boneless. "I'm glad you weren't made into a Tsukai-soufflé!"

"That reminds me…" He slipped free of your arms and with a vicious growl began attacking the nearest Bakemon. "DIE YOU SAD EXCUSE FOR A DISHTOWEL!"

"Save me your Highness!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" you yelped and grabbed your partner. "Easy, Tsukaimon! It was all a misunderstanding! They've learned their lesson!"

You and Kari explained everything that'd happened in the last 15 minutes (though you didn't mention the black ooze) and the Bakemon apologized too. And it didn't take much to convince the others to cook up and alternative meal for you all. At first you were at a loss of what to make - the Bakemon had been right about the lack of food in their pantry - but when you caught sight of T.K.'s backpack and remembered the baked Power Bananas you were struck with a brilliant idea.

You, the kids, and the Digimon set about making a huge pot of creamy soup with the Power Bananas as the main flavor. You'd never made soup like this before so the whole time you were just winging it. It involved a lot of tasting and discussion but finally you ended up with a pot of sweet, warm, apple-cinnamon soup.

The Bakemon loved it. Their chefs begged you for the recipe, but unfortunately you weren't thinking of recording it for posterity at the time you were making it. But you told them the important ingredients and the order in which you'd added them and the amounts as best you could.

"From here, you guys should experiment and find a soup mix that you like best," you suggested. "No two chefs cook the same way just like no two people have the same taste. But no more eating Digimon and humans, okay?"

"Yes, your Highness. And if your other human friends come by, we'll send them after you."


	8. Chapter 8: Canyon of No Return

Chapter 8: Canyon of No Return

"It's okay, Kari. Just don't look down."

Gatomon's reassuring voice didn't seem to have any effect on Kari's nerves. "That's easy for you to say," she replied. "You're a cat!"

"I don't think it's so bad!" you piped up.

Your group had emerged from the shadowy mansion and managed to cross the Overdell. On the other side you all found an enormous canyon. The cliffs stretched down for what looked like a mile and a thin blue ribbon snaked down the center, reflecting back bursts of light. The walls were layers of colored sandstone from red to gold like stacked pancakes.

Currently you were all crossing a rickety rope bridge that spanned the canyon's width. It was narrow and swung back and forth in the high winds, but the only other option would've been to climb down the sheer stone walls and then back up the other side.

Personally the height and the wind didn't bother you as much as it seemed to bother T.K. and Kari. It was almost like flying. Of course, you would've felt better if you'd had wings like Patamon and Tsukaimon.

"Pick up the pace!" Tsukaimon shouted as he flapped along overhead. Then he yelped as a gust of wind blasted him sideways.

"It's hard enough just to hold on for dear life!" Gabumon shouted, clinging to the rope side.

As the bridge swayed your body instinctively flowed with it but you heard unhappy cries from T.K. and Kari behind you. Gripping the rope sides of the bridge, you looked back over your shoulder at them. They were huddled together in the center of the bridge as if afraid to be on their feet.

"It's okay, guys. I'll give you a hand." You took a couple of steps to get back to them and you held out your hands. They each took one and you pulled them up onto their feet.

"Let's go," you said. "Slowly. Hold tight to my hands and if the bridge sways move with it like I do."

You started to walk carefully backwards, guiding them steadily towards the far end of the bridge. Gatomon and Gabumon followed behind them while Patamon and Tsukaimon flew back and forth overhead. Once or twice a gust struck the bridge and you held the two kids upright as they tried to sway with it as you instructed. Progress was slow but eventually you all made it to solid ground again.

"Wow, that was scary!" T.K. said when you were safe.

"I guess a little," you admitted. "But I liked it! It was like being a bird!"

"I'll stick to being a person on the ground," Kari replied.

"Well, we've got plenty of ground to cover," you said, looking around. The flat top of the canyon zigged and zagged into the distance, broken up like islands and linked by more bridges (luckily they were made of metal not rope). The landscape was already beginning to shimmer in the rising heat and you thought of the river down below. If it got too hot you all would need water. "We need to go down to the river. We're going to get thirsty when the sun gets high."

The kids agreed and you all began walking along the canyon, keeping your eyes peeled for a path leading down. It was a strange place - from the Overdell it had looked completely natural but now in the thick of it you could see mechanical odds and ends poking out. At one point you glanced at a sign and stopped dead in your tracks.

"Elevator?!" You looked at Tsukaimon. "There's an elevator out here?!"

"Yeah, so?"

You just gaped at him and he stared back, obviously wondering what the fuss was about.

"That's just how this world is," Kari explained.

"It's all so weird," you sighed.

"You're weird!" Tsukaimon retorted.

"Yeah, that's a good argument," Gatomon said.

You all kept walking and sure enough you found the elevator. It was embedded into the rock as if it'd always been there, as if it'd grown from the rock itself. Suddenly there was a 'ding!' and you pulled the kids and Digimon behind a rocky outcrop. Peeking around the side, you saw the rusty iron doors open and a green, potato-shaped Digimon with vines for arms hopped out and headed away across another metal bridge.

"Come on, let's go!" Tsukaimon announced and he flapped towards the open doors. "This is the way down!"

"Are you sure?!" you called nervously. Your brother always told you not to go anyplace if you couldn't see the end. An elevator was the definition of a trap. "Maybe there's a safer way down!"

"She has a point," Gabumon said. "Things in Digiworld aren't always what they seem. It could be dangerous."

"But the Vegiemon was fine!" Tsukaimon protested.

"Well, he's not being chased by roaming darkness as far as we know!" you retorted. "We're the ones who need to be careful!"

"But what if that's the only way down?!" Tsukaimon demanded. "It's the fastest!"

"Fast doesn't mean right!" you argued. "I want to make sure that we don't stumble into a situation like the mansion again! You and the kids were nearly eaten!"

"We'll be fine!"

"Let's do it."

You looked at Kari in disbelief. "You can't be serious. With the darkness coming after us?"

"My brother Tai would've said the same thing," she said quietly. "Sometimes we needed to take risks in order to get the job done."

"I bet Matt would agree too," T.K. said. "We should try the elevator."

"Okay," you sighed. "But stick close. We don't know what'll be waiting for us."

"Great!" Tsukaimon darted to the elevator and hit the down button; the doors reopened immediately.

Your group piled into the car and you hit the button labeled 'BOTTOM' (the others were labeled '1' and 'ROOF'). It began to move; to your surprise generic elevator music started to play.

At the bottom the doors opened - the landscape was deserted. But just outside was a clearly marked staircase carved into the stone. The sign said 'Riverside' and another arrow-shaped sign pointed in another direction read something else but was unreadable due to graffiti.

"Down that way." You pointed to the staircase.

You all made it down to the side of the river quickly; the elevator had brought you almost all the way to start with. Once by the water, you looked up. It was almost like looking down into the canyon - steep stone walls with a ribbon of blue down the center. One key difference though - the sun was directly overhead blazing down onto all of you. It was like an oven, and you were broiling. You could tell by their expressions that the kids felt the same and poor Gabumon must've been dying under that furry pelt.

You were right; Gabumon immediately rushed to the river and bent down to drink.

"It's so hot, T.K.," Patamon said.

"I know, Patamon."

"Let's find a cave," you suggested. "We can wait out the heat and I'll fill T.K.'s thermos with water."

"Okay," the kids agreed.

And so there was even more walking. But you all didn't have to suffer the heat for very long. You located a cave just above head level and after a quick check for bugs or snakes you led the kids and Digimon inside.

"Okay, you all cool down here," you instructed. "I'll go fill up the thermos and be back in a jiffy."

"Mmm…" T.K. mumbled as Patamon curled up with him. Kari and Gatomon were already dozing and Gabumon and Tsukaimon had spread out on the cool stone with their eyes shut.

You smiled at the sight and at the same time you were a little in awe. These kids and Digimon already trusted you enough to fall asleep in your presence. Because of the reputation of you and your brother, kids in your neighborhood generally didn't trust you. And Digimon? Well, you'd only known about them for what, a day or two? And they trusted you already.

Then you would do your best! You scampered back down to the riverside path and found a low outcropping that poked out into the deeper water. You crouched and opened the thermos, taking a quick look before rinsing it out. You started to refill it when a loud 'THUD' from behind distracted you.

You started to turn, expecting one of the Digimon, probably Tsukaimon. Suddenly hands came out of nowhere to grab your arms and cover your screams.

~T.K. POV~

With a tremendous sneeze I came awake. It had gotten cold in the cave and it was very shadowy - the sun must've gone down. I saw Kari and Gatomon curled up nearby and Tsukaimon was next to Gatomon. Gabumon was asleep next to me with his arm draped over me, and his fur was keeping me warm. But I didn't see Shar.

"Hey, Patamon?" I whispered. "You awake?"

He trembled and stretched with a massive yawn. "'Morning T.K."

I laughed. "It's not really morning, Patamon. It's almost night."

"Well then, good night!" he said cheekily.

"T.K.?" Our talking had woken Kari up and she was looking around and blinking sleepily. "Shar?"

"Shar isn't here," I said. Inside I was confused - Shar said she'd been right back when we first got here. It was way later now and she still wasn't back.

"We should go look for her," Gabumon suggested. "The darkness might've found her."

We filed out of the cave and I looked around. The canyon was shadowy because the sun had gone down; maybe that had let the darkness chase after Shar. I remembered how it'd moved, like black water. The river looked like that right now: it was a deep, dark gray and it lapped at the shore hungrily. Then a spot of color caught my eye.

"Hey, what's that?" I asked.

Tsukaimon had also seen the thing and he landed next to it and picked it up. It was my thermos - the one I'd given to Shar.

"That's not all that's here," Gatomon added. "There are lots of prints in the mud. And it looks like Shar might've been dragged away."

Gabumon bent down and sniffed. "She's right, Shar was definitely here. And she was afraid."

"The prints go over this way," Patamon announced. He was hovering over the rocks by the path leading to the stone stairs.

"Come on!" Tsukaimon said. "We gotta find her!"

~Shar POV~

You woke. Immediately you were aware that you were in a room, but nothing was in focus. You must've fainted or something.

But that was when you realized that your hands were tied behind your back and there was a cloth stuffed in your mouth. The realization was like an electric current down your spine and you instinctively jerked against your restraints.

Raspy cackles assaulted your ears. "Hey, the human is awake!"

The room was packed with little green-skinned Digimon that looked like trolls or gremlins. Each held a club and had an orange mohawk. Now that you'd woken they were all staring at you - you were surrounded by eyes.

Then they came closer and one with a nose ring sneered down at you. "The boss said humans were tough! But you ain't so tough!"

He poked you with his cub and your temper flared up. Quickly you twisted around and pistoned your dominant foot directly into his face. It made a fleshy 'WHOCK!' and he fell back spraying blood from his nose.

The group of trolls made a dull noise of surprise and looked confused like they couldn't believe what they'd seen. There was a long pause and you just waited for another of them to come within reach.

"Well, this is boring now," another of the trolls muttered. "Let's go get some grub."

The whole gaggle of trolls left through the heavy doors, including the one you'd bloodied; he gave you a look of death. The door shut and there was silence again.

As soon as they were gone you started to fidget your hands, rubbing your wrists against one another and pulling frantically on the ropes trying to loosen them. But your fingers couldn't bend right and the tips couldn't get far enough under the ropes to pull them off. Still you kept trying; you needed to get them off and get out of here. Back to T.K. and Kari.

And back to Tsukaimon.


	9. Chapter 9: Digimission Impossible

Chapter 9: Digimission Impossible

You struggled against the coarse ropes binding your wrists, refusing to accept the futility of the effort. They were tied so tightly that you couldn't manage to get your fingers between the bonds to loosen them. But the rope was too strong and tightly woven for you to stretch it out by simply pulling against it, so your Plan B was a dud too.

"Rffs! (Rats!)" you growled. Then a sudden noise from behind you startled you out of your distracted frustration. You whipped around, heart in your throat.

Against the wall sat a two-legged orange lizard. It was chained up with a thick metal collar around its neck and a heavy chain connecting the collar to the wall behind it. In addition to the restraint, there was a cage-like muzzle around the lizard's face so that only its green eyes were showing. They watched you intently but without malice.

You stared at the lizard. It stared right back at you.

~Kari POV~

"Shar! Shar, where are you?!" Tsukaimon cried. He was darting back and forth in the air overhead, searching desperately.

We'd been looking for Shar all night long but there had been no sign of her. Tsukaimon had grown more and more frantic, and now he was beside himself with worry. I was equally worried; this world could be incredibly dangerous and it wasn't just Digimon we had to watch out for. That lurking darkness was probably to blame for her disappearance, but there were also natural disasters to think about. More than once we had considered the possibility that she'd fallen into the river and been swept away downstream. But Gabumon insisted that her scent led away from the water and up into the canyon's maze of trails. And there were the Digimon scents that had been mingled with hers.

Now the sky was growing lighter as dawn broke and we were up away from the cooling banks of the river. I knew it was going to get hot just like it had yesterday. We needed to find a cave like Shar had done so that the stone would protect us - but Tsukaimon was so worked up I doubted he would settle down to wait out the day's heat.

"We need to find a cave," I said with another glance at the canyon top. Sun rays were beginning to creep down the wall.

"No! We need to find Shar!" Tsukaimon cried. "Shar!"

"We understand, Tsukaimon," Patamon said gently. "But when it gets hot again we can't be out here. It could make us sick."

"Like that's supposed to make me feel better?!" he demanded furiously. "What if Shar is out in the sun someplace while we're nice and comfy in a cave?!"

"That's not what we meant," Gabumon chimed in. "But if we're in the sun and get sick, we won't be able to rescue Shar."

Tsukaimon growled and I wondered if he might attack Gabumon or Patamon. He did have the strangest glow in his eyes… But then there was a loud noise from around the bend and we all froze. Then we started to sneak closer to see what it was.

Silently we peeked around the outcropping of stone. At first I thought we were seeing a secret fort or something - there was a doorway with columns and an awning made of scraps of metal and plastic leaning precariously against each other. But it wasn't a fort for kids; standing out front were two green gremlin-like Digimon holding clubs and laughing in deep voices.

"Those are Goburimon," Tsukaimon rumbled. "They're evil goblin Digimon that like to trick and bully weaker Digimon!"

"Watch it, everyone," Gatomon said. "Goburimon are always in big groups. If we attract their attention, there will be an avalanche of them."

I don't think that Tsukaimon heard her warning. At just that moment the Goburimon laughed even louder than before.

"It sure was easy to capture that human!" one cackled.

"Yeah! Humans can't defend themselves at all!" replied the other.

That was all they managed to say - Tsukaimon burst out of hiding and charged at the two of them in fury. "Give me back Shar!" he roared.

~Shar POV~

After a long silence the lizard Digimon stood up and came closer. You tensed, ready to kick at it if it did anything threatening. But it didn't appear menacing at all at first glance - the collar and chain were so heavy that the poor thing was bent nearly double under the weight. And with the muzzle on its face, you weren't sure if it could talk to you.

Not that you were going to let your guard down. Its two arms ended in hands that sported three long claws; they looked like just the sort of thing that a hungry Digimon would use to tear a helpless human to bits.

The Digimon stopped just out of range of your legs, obviously wary. However when you didn't attack, it relaxed and bowed politely.

"Hello, human," he said. The words were muffled by the muzzle but still understandable. "I'm Agumon. What's your name?"

You just rolled your eyes at him. With the gag in your mouth he wouldn't be able to understand your reply.

It took a second but then it appeared to occur to Agumon why you couldn't speak. "Oh, right. Would you like me to take the gag out?"

You could feel the look of suspicion on your face. The thought of those claws near your head was not comforting.

"Well then, why don't I untie your hands? Then you can take out the gag."

That was a better option and you nodded. You presented your hands to Agumon and waited anxiously as he moved closer. You felt his claws brush across the skin of your wrists - it made the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Briefly the ropes tightened but then they fell away completely.

You brought your hands up and pulled the gag from your mouth, stretching your jaw and running your tongue around your dried mouth. "Thank you," you said. Your voice was raspy to your ears.

"You're welcome," he replied.

You rubbed your wrists. Despite the touch of Agumon's claws, there were no marks on your skin. There were a few raw stripes from the ropes but your skin hadn't been broken. It was just a little tender.

Then as you bent to untie your feet, Agumon sighed. "You should run as soon as you're free. Those Goburimon will be back any minute."

"Good idea," you said. "But first, maybe I can return the favor."

You scooted closer and began to examine the muzzle and collar. They had locks built into them but they were pretty simple. It made you want to laugh - so many people thought that just because a lock was big and heavy that it was unbreakable. But you'd broken tougher before.

"Hold still," you said. "I think I can pick them."

From your back pocket you pulled out your pride and joy, a lock picking kit of professional quality. It'd been your brother's until you'd shown talent for lock-breaking - then he'd given it to you. All he said was that great tools belonged in the hands of those who could best use them.

Carefully you began to work on the collar's lock. As requested, Agumon held perfectly still the whole time, one big green eye fixed on you. After just a couple minutes the massive collar and its chain fell away and Agumon sighed with relief. Without pause you moved onto the muzzle. That took less than a minute to crack and you helped the orange Digimon remove it.

Beneath the muzzle, you found that Agumon had a long snout with sharp teeth poking out here and there like a crocodile. You got a better look at those teeth when he smiled at you. "Thank you… You know, I still don't know your name."

"Oh, I'm Shar," you replied. "Thanks for getting those ropes off."

"No problem at all! I'm happy to help a new Digidestined."

You weren't quite sure what to say to that but you didn't get a chance to decide. Agumon started moving towards the only door. "We should get out of here fast before the Goburimon get back. Do you remember the way out?"

"I do. But what do we do if we bump into any of the Goburimon on the way?"

"You just leave that to me."


	10. Chapter 10: Rescued by a Devil

Chapter 10: Rescued by a Devil

Two Goburimon walked down the hallway of Ogre Hideout, heading for the back room where prisoners were kept. At the moment the gang only had two prisoners on ice, but the boss was particularly interested in them. Though why he was interested in a human and a wimpy Agumon was beyond the Goburimons' understanding. But they didn't need to understand, they just needed to do what the boss ordered.

"What do you think?" asked one.

"I think we should roast 'em," said the other.

"Really? I think we should fry 'em."

"Don't be stupid. Roasting keeps the meat juicy."

"Don't call me stupid, stupid! Frying gives the meat a nice crunch to it!"

The two Digimon were nearing the prison door and one took the lead to open it. But as its hand neared the handle -

" **Pepper Breath!** "

The door exploded outward in a hurricane of flame and struck the lead Goburimon in the face. It went down like a sack of rocks. The other Goburimon just gaped, its club hanging limply from its hand. It never saw you coming as you leapt through the dissipating fire to charge past it. But your aim was a little off - your foot connected solidly with the Goburimon's face and it went down as you followed through.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that," you mumbled.

Agumon followed you to make sure that the Goburimon were out cold. "Good kick!"

"Thanks. Now which way do we go?"

You had both been walking quickly down the hall and had paused at a T-junction with two doors. Suddenly the door on the right opened and a mob of Goburimon confronted you.

"Go left!" Agumon shouted and you both fled through the door and down another dim hallway.

You could hear the footsteps of the Goburimon as they chased the two of you down but your vision had narrowed to the door at the end of the hall. Could you and Agumon reach it before the evil monsters caught you?

You barely made it. The two of you rushed through the door and slammed it closed behind you. There was no lock so you prodded Agumon to keep running.

But when you turned around, you found that you'd stumbled into an occupied room. It was jam-packed with Goburimon, all of them staring at you in surprise. There was no sound and no movement for a few heartbeats.

"Crap!" you shouted.

"Hey!" called a voice. Your eyes moved to the back of the room and your heart stopped when you saw the speaker. It was Fugamon again! "I remember you!"

"Double crap!" It occurred to you to run back through the door, but your ears caught the sound of the horde of Goburimon bursting into the room behind you. And the only other escape would've been through a second door clear across the room behind Fugamon. You were well and truly trapped.

"Don't let that human get away!" Fugamon ordered. "We have a score to settle!"

"Okay, boss!" Now the Goburimon were starting to get their act together and they surrounded you and Agumon threateningly. "Come here, little human."

" **Pepper Breath!** " Agumon attacked in your defense, spitting fireballs at the ring of Goburimon. But captivity seemed to have weakened him - the goblins easily swatted away the projectiles and kept coming closer.

One of them rushed you and grabbed your arm. You cried out and pulled away but its grip on you remained firm. "Let go!"

Then suddenly a dark blue blur was zipping through the air. " **Shadow Slam!** "

Tsukaimon struck the Goburimon's head, flinging it away from you with incredible force. It was thrown into several others and they all fell to the ground in a tangled mess.

"Tsukaimon!" you cried. You'd never been so relieved in your whole life.

"Shar!" Barely slowing, he dove into your arms and hugged you tight. "I was so worried about you!"

You squeezed him back with all the strength you had.

" **Boom Bubble!** "

" **Lightning Paw!** "

" **Blue Blaster!** "

" **Pepper Breath!** "

Goburimon were flying willy-nilly through the air as the techniques struck them, but you and Tsukaimon were wrapped up in your own little world. Then you heard your name called and saw T.K. and Kari come through the doorway.

"T.K.! Kari!" you said happily.

"Shar!" they replied with equal joy.

"Sorry to break up this touching reunion, but now it's time for you to die!" Fugamon bellowed. He leapt over his fallen henchmen and headed straight for you and Tsukaimon. "This time I'll finish you for good!"

Your legs were paralyzed and you could only let out a weak scream of fear. Tsukaimon sprang from your numb arms with a fierce roar to challenge Fugamon. There was a loud electronic whine and a brilliant flash of light.

"Tsukaimon digivolve to - Devidramon!"

The light faded and a huge black figure materialized before you, smelling of leather and smoke. A long tail whipped past your head and struck a low table nearby, sending it crashing into the wall where it shattered. There was a great shrieking roar that rattled every loose object in the room.

Devidramon slammed into Fugamon and flung him to the ground. He spread his four wings as if to fly but the room was too restricted - the larger pair smacked into the ceiling with a sound like a cloth sheet being shaken out sharply. The unexpected impact made Devidramon recoil and hiss with annoyance.

The momentary distraction let Fugamon regain his footing and he counterattacked immediately. " **Evil Hurricane!** "

The punch of concentrated wind struck Devidramon in the chest and he grunted but remained firm. He quickly refocused on Fugamon as the ogre Digimon charged with his club raised high to strike. Almost lazily Devidramon slapped Fugamon aside and lifted his arms; his long red claws began to glow eerily.

" **Crimson Nail!** " Devidramon darted forward with astonishing speed and his wicked claws arced down, stabbing deeply into Fugamon.

With a defeated cry, Fugamon vanished into multicolored particles. A hush fell over the room.

The quiet was split by a growl and Devidramon turned around and fixed you with a glare. A thrill ran up your spine as you got your first look at his face - he had a long snout like Agumon's, though it was gray, and he was covered by a leathery cloth all over his body and most of his face. He had four blood-red eyes that pierced your soul and four huge leathery wings. His arms were long and almost spindly, but his torso and legs were thickly muscled.

With a soft rustle he took a step closer to you; but before you could panic he moved to straighten up and his massive head struck a low-hanging light fixture.

"Ow!" he rumbled and rubbed his head.

Just like that the illusion of a fierce dark dragon was dispelled and you realized that inside the terrifying façade was your little squishy Tsukaimon. He was certainly good at the whole "digi-balling" thing.


	11. Chapter 11: Breathing Room

Chapter 11: Breathing Room

"The boss…" one of the Goburimon mumbled in awe. "He's gone!"

"Run!" shouted another.

The crowd of Goburimon stampeded out the far door - which apparently led to a secret escape elevator - leaving you and your new friends alone in the hideout. The place was full of loot: one corner was piled high with Power Bananas, Digicarrots, ROM Radishes, and Diode Mushrooms. Another held weapons of all sorts: clubs, swords, and longbows. The floor had lush carpets that looked like they were Gabumon pelts scattered around and on the walls were elaborate martial arts hangings. Honestly, how had a bunch of dummies like those Goburimon managed to steal all this cool stuff?

Then a bright light surrounded Devidramon and when it disappeared Tsukaimon was left behind. He fell from the air and bounced when he hit the floor.

"Tsukaimon!" You rushed over to him and picked him up. "Say something! Please!"

"Shar?" He sounded confused and tired.

"What's the matter?! Are you hurt?!"

"No, I'm just very tired. Digivolving is hard."

It was that word again. "It was what?"

"He digivolved," Gabumon explained.

"It's a special process that Digimon undergo," Agumon added. "It allows us to temporarily gain strength by changing form."

"Ohhh…" you said. "So… it's like when Tokomon became Tsukaimon?"

"Yes, that was digivolution too."

"And it's always temporary?"

"For most Digimon. Usually when they reach Rookie level they can maintain that shape. But when they digivolve to higher levels they usually revert back after a while."

"Well good!" you said. You gave Tsukaimon a big hug. "If he hadn't become small again he wouldn't be able to ride on my head anymore."

"That would be awful." Tsukaimon flapped out of your arms and perched on top of your head. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't sit on your head anymore."

You smiled and laughed. It sounded like your little buddy was already feeling better.

More questions came to you as you were leaving the hideout. "Do all Digimon digivolve?"

"No, not all of them," Gatomon said.

"From what we can tell only Digimon linked to a digivice can digivolve," Kari said.

"A digivice?" You felt at your waistband for the little device and unclipped it to study it. "You mean this tiny thing made Tsukaimon turn into that big dragon?"

"Well, it isn't just the digivice," Patamon elaborated.

"A Digimon also needs energy to digivolve," Agumon chimed in. "With a digivice we're able to draw on our partner's energy much easier."

"So I helped Tsukaimon become that big dragon?!"

You were totally amazed. Your power had made Tsukaimon so incredibly strong! That meant that you had the strength of a dragon inside you!

But he apparently had other things on his mind. "Hey, Shar! I'm hungry!"

The other Digimon agreed with him.


	12. Chapter 12: Mount Infinity

Chapter 12: Mount Infinity

Your trek out of the maze of canyons was uneventful after that; probably all the local Digimon had heard the fuss and were taking great care to keep out of your way. The occasional monster you spotted at a distance was always gone when you arrived at the spot where they'd stood.

Each day was as hot as the first and shelter wasn't very easy to come by, especially after the trail led away from the river. But you always thought of the kids and Digimon before yourself. And though Tsukaimon grumbled sometimes about the special attention you gave Agumon and Gabumon (the former for rescuing you and the latter because of his heavy fur) he always volunteered for night sentry duty to protect the group without complaint.

The end of the arid canyon area was abrupt: looking across a ten-meter bridge, you saw a new desert, this one of ice and snow. The landscape gleamed in bursts as clouds floated serenely by overhead. A large boiler-type heater was perched incongruously on the glacial cliffside.

Freezeland, as the Digimon informed you this new area was called, was harsh and unforgiving just like the far north on Earth. Icy storms blew in from out of nowhere and the footing was treacherous, even on the established pathways. The temperature was never above freezing. You all would surely have perished if not for the miraculous discovery of -

But no, that was an adventure tale for another time.

The much-anticipated edge of Freezeland was heralded by the rise of a forest untouched by frost. The trees were dark and massive - they would've rivaled mountains if they weren't neighbors of Infinity Mountain (which was the mother of all mountains).

But despite the lingering brutality of Freezeland and the eagerness of everyone to reacquaint themselves with warm weather, you all hesitated at the border. The forest had no snow, but the depths were hidden in pure white.

"What is that?" you asked suspiciously.

"That is the Misty Trees," Gabumon answered.

"So I see." You watched the pale tendrils of gas that licked across the soil. "It's always foggy like this?"

"It's always foggy," Gabumon confirmed. "But not usually this much."

"At least the fog isn't dark," Gatomon observed of the phenomenon.

You flinched at her words. Thoughts of the darkness from beneath the ground were never far from your mind. And on its heels was always that particular worry. The worry that the darkness was somehow your doing. It was a ten-ton weight on your heart.

Tsukaimon, your ever-present head hitchhiker, noticed your involuntary spasm. "What's wrong, Shar?"

You thought fast as everyone focused on you. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just… the fog is kinda creepy, y'know?"

Luckily T.K. and Kari agreed with your sentiment but the Digimon didn't say one way or another how they felt. The exception, of course, being Tsukaimon.

"There's nothing to worry about! If we run into any aggressive Digimon I'll just digivolve again and give 'em a good smackdown!" He launched off your head and started to mime punches and kicks. "With a right and a left and a **Crimson Nail** to finish 'em off! Lemme at 'em!"

"Okay, Rambo, cool it," you laughed and plucked him out of the air. For such a tiny Digimon he had an enormous attitude.

"I don't want to run into any Digimon at all," Kari said and her tone was sad. "I hate fighting."

You agreed with her, though you were no stranger to fighting. Sometimes fighting was the only path that could be taken.

Something clicked in your mind at those words. Another path…

You looked up and to the left at the imposing wall of Mount Infinity. Though it rose steeply and there was no chance that you all could climb it, there was a shadow running along it that got your attention. It looked like it could be a road up the side of the peak. And the start of it couldn't be far away.

"Follow me, you guys." You led them all just inside Misty Trees and over towards Mount Infinity. Just as you expected, the start of the trail was hidden in the mist and overgrown vegetation. "Here we go!"

"Great!" T.K. said enthusiastically. "Now we can climb Mount Infinity without going through Misty Trees."

Your group began to climb, though it was really just walking uphill. Quickly you rose over the billowing fog and after a longer time you could look out across the tops of the forest trees. In the distance you could see the ocean with the bright sun glinting off the waves. To the right was the barren expanse of Freezeland and far in the distance to the left was some kind of structure. It looked like a factory or something.

But your destination was up not out. The trail continued on, wide in some spots and narrow in others. Then it ended abruptly.

A wall of rocks confronted you. They were piled up in the center of the road - you assumed that a landslide had happened recently. Patamon and Tsukaimon flew over it and declared that the path on the other side was clear and navigable, so you all chose to climb over the pile rather than going around or turning back.

"I'll find a safe way up," you told the kids and little Digimon. "Wait here. And stay back so that if any rocks come loose they don't hit you."

They agreed and after they backed up a few paces you began to feel for hand- and foot-holds. It took some time but slowly you scaled the rock pile.

Suddenly the rocks and earth shuddered and you froze, heart pounding. The clattering became more pronounced and the rattling became stronger and you struggled to cling to the boulders. But your palms had grown slippery and you couldn't hold on any longer.

With a cry, you fell. The last thing that you remembered was the impact as you hit the hard-packed ground. Then there was only darkness.

~T.K. POV~

"Oh no! Shar!"

The ground had started to rumble and roll when Shar was only halfway up the pile of rocks. Tsukaimon had swooped down to rescue her but she'd lost her grip before he could get close enough. She fell and hit the ground, instantly going limp.

But that wasn't our only worry. As Tsukaimon landed beside Shar, the rocks and soil rose up and formed a gigantic monster. It had a metal helmet but the rest of its body was made up of all kinds of rocks.

"GRAAAAHH!" it roared angrily and raised both fists into the air.

"It's Golemon!" Agumon cried.

That was a Digimon we'd never encountered before. "What's a Golemon?"

"Golemon is an enormous Digimon whose body is made almost entirely of stone," Gatomon explained. "This makes him impervious to attacks and makes his own attacks that much stronger."

"We have to rescue Shar!" Kari said. "She's too close!"

Golemon had focused on the unconscious Shar and Tsukaimon - her partner had begun attacking Golemon as soon as he stood up. The attacks were doing nothing though and if Golemon counterattacked he would hit Shar, either on purpose or by accident.

"Leave that to us," Gabumon said. "But we need a distraction."

"I've got it!" Patamon said. "Right T.K.?"

"Just be careful," I said. I tried to keep the worry out of my voice.

"Don't worry! I can do it!" Patamon flapped towards Golemon, ready to battle. "Patamon digivolve to - Angemon!"

Angemon confronted Golemon. "Stop, Golemon! You'll bring down the whole mountainside!"

"GRAAAAHH!" He swung a rocky fist at Angemon and only just missed him. In the process he stepped forward directly onto where Shar had been lying.

She'd already been rescued. As soon as Patamon digivolved, all the other Digimon had rushed forward to pull her to safety. Now that she was safe, Angemon could really fight Golemon.

It was very quick. Angemon flew up higher and gathered his energy. " **Hand of Fate!** "

A beam of light shot from his right fist and struck Golemon in the head. It threw him off the peak and he tumbled all the way down into the dense forest below.

"Yay, Angemon!" I cheered.

"What?" I heard Shar's voice, groggy and confused. "What's going on?"

I started to turn towards her to check if she'd gotten hurt and then I saw it. In the air above Angemon, a huge black cloud appeared. It billowed menacingly and reached out towards Angemon. I yelled out to him but it was too late. The darkness swallowed him up and he shouted in pain.

"Nooooo!" I watched in horror as Patamon fell out of the dark cloud and hit the ground.

"Watch out, Kari!" Gatomon shouted.

The black miasma was descending upon us now and I could feel evil anger radiating from it. Agumon and Gabumon attacked it but the fires went right through it. Two tendrils stretched out and formed hands ending in long claws.

"No you don't!" Tsukaimon raged. "It's my turn now!"

Shar's digivice began to beep and more darkness appeared. This time it was from underground and it swirled wildly around Tsukaimon. Then the light and the darkness combined around him. "Tsukaimon digivolve to - Devidramon!"

With a bellow Devidramon charged at the hovering threat. From between his jaws bright flames erupted and lashed at the cloud. It recoiled from the fire and from Devidramon's razor-sharp claws that followed.

He was a big Digimon, about the same size as Greymon, but he was fast in the air. He shot past the cloud and doubled back in a blink, breathing more fire. The cloud shrank and then shrank again as Devidramon's **Crimson Nail** sliced through it.

With a shriek it dispersed and vanished. Devidramon roared victoriously but I was more concerned about Patamon.

I ran to him and scooped him up. "Patamon! Say something!"

"T.K.…" He sounded so weak.

Everyone gathered around me and Patamon, checking to make sure we were both okay. Patamon was limp in my arms - the darkness had drained his energy again. But it wasn't as bad as when he beat Devimon.

"Patamon, was this the same darkness as before?" Gatomon asked urgently.

"Yes, it felt the same. All of my energy was drained and I fainted. I'm just glad none of you were hurt."

He was starting to perk up again and I felt relieved. But quickly another worry was dropped in my lap.

Agumon glanced between Patamon and the open air where the dark cloud had been. "What's really weird is how the first darkness in the air absorbed Patamon's energy but the second darkness in the ground gave Tsukaimon the strength to digivolve."

There was complete silence and I looked up at Shar. Her eyes had widened and a look came over her face like she had a painful stomachache. I wondered what was wrong.


	13. Chapter 13: Top Gearmon

Chapter 13: Top Gearmon

The mountaintop temple had long stood as a pinnacle. Perched at the very top of the world's tallest mountain, Digimon of the past had considered it a place of pilgrimage as a conduit to the heavens. There they worshipped and meditated, seeking the knowledge and the strength to digivolve. Some sought to gain a form like that of their gods while others wanted the strength to escape oppression and the struggle of harsh environments. A few however had darker goals.

Over time those dark ambitions built up until they were on the verge of overpowering the light from the heavens. Then the tipping point was passed, Devimon came to be, and the temple was given over to evil. He dominated File Island until the Digidestined Children defeated him and freed the island from his malign influence. In the process the structure was torn apart and ruined.

But not gone. Though only ruins remained they still served as the focal point for evil forces. And after a year a new master had taken control of the temple's bones.

~Atop Mount Infinity~

"I am losing my patience!"

The violent shout swirled the thick fog and rattled loose some of the smaller stones from the walls of the godless church; they clattered to the flagstones in a mini-avalanche. Several more clanged off the metallic armor of the Digimon kneeling in the cloudy murk before his irate master.

"Forgive me, master," he groveled.

"The only task you were charged with, a task so monumentally simple that even a Numemon could do it, was to use your power to revive me! Yet all I hear from you is that you have not gained enough strength to do even that one simple job put to you!"

The begging Digimon, a mutant machine monster called Clockmon, knew that he was in danger. His master might still be little more than an apparition but his power was all too real. As was his anger.

"Please master, have mercy! I am doing my best but something repeatedly drains my energy. It is inescapable!"

The crimson eyes staring out of the jet black figure narrowed to slits. "A drain to your energy? From below?"

"Yes! A liquid shadow from the ground! It always leeches my strength just as I am preparing for your revival!"

The dark master hissed but now his ire was not directed at Clockmon. "Ssshaaa! It's those cursed Digidestined!"

More debris tumbled from the damaged walls and bounced into the shadowed corners. "Gennai… It should've been impossible for him to find a Shadow Child…"

"The Shadow Child - as in the Prophecy of Shadows?!" Clockmon gasped.

"The Digidestined must be stopped," the dark lord said. "You know what to do, Clockmon."

"Yes, master," the mechanical Digimon replied and bowed his head. "It is being take care of as we speak."

~Your POV~

Seeing those innocent faces staring at you with expectation made the guilt even harder to bear. You desperately wanted to come clean to them all, but you were still worried. Would they be angry that you'd kept this secret from them? Would they still trust you? Or would they blame you as the one who kept putting them in danger and hurting Patamon and Gatomon?

But you couldn't stand to keep the secret bottled up anymore. "I've… seen the darkness a bunch," you admitted. "Like it's following me. But I swear I'm not the one controlling it. I'd never hurt you guys."

You could feel the pleading look on your face as you explained the times you'd seen the darkness creeping after you. You stressed that you never called it and didn't want it to do any of the things that'd happened.

At last you finished and you waited for the axe to fall.

"It's okay, Shar," Kari said gently.

"Of course you wouldn't do it on purpose!" Tsukaimon announced loudly. "You're too nice a person!"

T.K. agreed with them but the Digimon didn't seem as convinced by your pleas. They glanced at one another but none said a word. Not exactly an unanimous vote of confidence.

Now that you'd expiated the guilt of keeping that secret from your friends you were feeling a little better. But still you were plagued by doubt. You were positive that you weren't commanding the darkness that you kept seeing, but was it too much of a coincidence that it kept following you everywhere you went?

So of course you wondered if you were doing your group any good at all. Would it be better if you left? Then maybe the darkness would pursue you and leave the kids and Digimon alone.

But what kind of guardian and protector would you be if you just abandoned them in this weird world? They might get hurt or eaten. Or deleted!

Then of course things went from bad to worse. The battle with Golemon had fractured the mountainside and left dozens of deep cracks across the steep face of Mount Infinity. A powerful rumble accompanied by metallic whining and clanking now issued forth from the dark crevices.

"What's that?!" you yelped.

"Black Gears!" T.K. cried. "Watch out everyone!"

"Black what?!

Gears poured out of the fissures and streamed into the air, circling malevolently. They weren't all black though - a central black gear was paired with two gray ones on either side. Red eyes glared out of each central gear face, all focused on your group.

"Hagurumon!" Gabumon gasped.

"That's just as bad!" Gatomon replied.

"There's so many of them!" Kari whimpered.

"What do we do?" T.K. asked. He held Patamon close.

"We fight!" Tsukaimon snarled. "I'll rip 'em to bits!"

"No!" you shouted. "We can't risk that darkness getting you guys again!"

Your partner ignored you. " **Purple Haze!** "

" **Pepper Breath!** "

" **Blue Blaster!** "

The attacks had no effect on the mass of Digimon overhead. They exploded and were absorbed; in response the Hagurumon swarmed like wasps and dove towards you.

" **Darkness Gear!** "

Black bolts impacted the ground all around and you covered your head as T.K. and Kari ducked behind you. Gusts shot past as the Hagurumon and their attacks circled your group. Then a familiar shadow brushed across you.

" **Purple Haze!** " Tsukaimon's voice sounded strong but his attack petered out without hitting anything.

" **Pepper Breath!** " Instead of a fireball though Agumon spat out a burst of useless smoke.

" **Blue Blaster!** " Gabumon's energy attack didn't even coalesce so he was left standing with his mouth open.

"What's going on?!" you cried.

"They're out of energy!" Gatomon explained. "They can't fight!"

"What do we do?" Kari asked her partner.

"We have to run!" you decided. "Quick, back to Misty Trees!"

You shepherded the kids back down the mountain trail with the partner Digimon following closely. The Hagurumon continued to circle in a shapeless cloud - there might be a lot of them but clearly they weren't the sharpest bunch. But then with a great clanking they began to chase after you all.

As you reached the bottom of the trail you spared a glance back at the pursuing gear Digimon. They were flying after you at full speed and gaining fast - the only chance you had to escape them was to lose them in the fog of Misty Trees.

"Into the trees!" you yelled.

"This way!" Gabumon said. "This path leads deep into the mist. We can hide there."

Running through the thickly overgrown evergreen forest was a terrifying experience. The vegetation pressed in close but the fog pressed even closer. You could only see obstacles right as you got to them so there was a lot of mutual tripping and slowing down to avoid broken legs and necks. But you all kept running, certain that the Hagurumon were just about to catch you.

At last when your group had gone deep into the depths of the eerie forest, to the point where the fog was so thick that you couldn't even see your own feet, you stopped and waited. Your heart was in your throat pounding with anticipation as you expected to feel attacks raining down upon you.

There was just the gentle sound of wind in the treetops. No metallic clashing or rushing bodies coming at you through the trees, and no sign that the mist was being disturbed by moving figures. Somehow you'd all gotten away.

"I think we're safe now," you whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Agumon asked normally.

"I don't know," you said sheepishly. "The mist and quiet make it seem like we should be quiet too."

"Well I'm not gonna be quiet!" Tsukaimon declared.

"Obviously," you answered as you took a cautious few steps into the fog. Suddenly your forehead struck an unseen obstacle. "Ow!"

Gabumon stepped up beside you and waved his paws to dispel some of the soupy mist. "Good job, Shar! You found a place we can rest."

You rubbed the bump just above your hairline. "My pleasure."

It turned out you'd knocked your noggin into a huge fallen tree hidden by the whiteout. The gap beneath it was carpeted by soft moss and dense brushy branches hung across both sides like a curtain - it was almost like a huge tent.

You all crawled into the protected space beneath the tree. You were particularly keen to preserve your skull intact so you furiously waved the fog away before going in.

The Digimon immediately curled up and fell asleep from the exhaustion and their kids settled down beside them. Before long you were the only one still awake in the little shelter.

Your mind was so busy you found it impossible to go to sleep. Your thoughts raced around as you stared at the rough bark of the tree overhead, absently stroking Tsukaimon's soft fur as he dozed in your arms.

Apparently your preoccupation was keeping him awake too. After a long time he sighed and stirred.

"What's bothering you, Shar?"

"Oh Tsukaimon." You met his big green eyes and suddenly a thought occurred to you. "Hey, I have a question for you."

"All right, what is it?"

"You said you were my partner, right?"

"Right."

"Does that mean that you'll go wherever I go?"

"Of course. That's what it is to be partners."

"But is that because you want to or because you have to?"

"Okay, what's going on? Why're you asking me such weird questions?"

"I'm worried. What if that darkness isn't just following us? What if I'm somehow making it?"

"Are you?"

"I don't know! I keep seeing it so it can't be a coincidence, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I just don't know."

"I think you're overthinking this, Shar. There's no way you would drain Digimon energy the way that darkness has been."

"But how do we know? If this darkness is like feeding off of me or something, I can't stay around you all. It'd be way too dangerous."

"Well you're not going anywhere without me!"

"Listen, it could be dangerous for you to be around me. You should stay with the others - it's safer."

"No way. Where you go, I go. And anyway if this is a power of yours, you don't need to avoid your friends. You just need to learn to control it. That's true of any power."

"I guess you're right. And I couldn't leave T.K. and Kari alone out here. It wouldn't be right."

"Then go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."

"Okay." You put your arms around him and he snuggled into you with a contented sigh. It wasn't long before you were both fast asleep.

But almost as soon as your eyes closed they popped open again. Everything had changed.

Misty Trees was no longer the white void that it'd been before. The fog was not gone but it'd thinned to the point where it seemed relatively normal. The forest vegetation around you was revealed - tall and massive evergreen trees soared above you, their tops lost in mist. Ferns as tall as you crowded the forest floor; with the fog reduced you could see the unearthly shade of green of the leaves. Huge roots and fallen logs made mini mountains carpeted by fuzzy moss. Light came from nowhere and there were no shadows.

You had just enough time to realize that you were standing outside of the tree shelter when a figure emerged from behind one of the vivid ferns. At first it was little more than a thicker patch of fog, but as it came closer the features crystalized.

"Hi Shar."

This wasn't the first time you'd dreamed about your brother. The two of you had been very close and you'd missed him terribly after he left. But right away you could tell that this dream was different - it wasn't a rerun of an old wonderful memory of the two of you. You were your same age and still in the Digital World instead of home.

None of that mattered though. Your brother was in front of you. That was all that mattered.

"Justin!" You felt your heart might explode with joy.

He gave you that crooked smile that you remembered well. "In person. How you been kid?"

"I been doin' okay." You grinned back. "Jus, I gotta tell you about this crazy place. It's called the Digital World."

You launched into the story of being at camp, the tidal wave, meeting Tokomon, and traveling around File Island but he interrupted you as you got to the part where Tsukaimon digivolved to Devidramon.

"I'm sorry, Shar, but I don't have much time. I came to warn you about the danger you're in."

That wiped the smile off your face and you immediately thought of the fluid darkness. "Is - Is it me?"

"No," he replied and you were relieved. "The real danger's up there."

You followed his pointing finger and somehow through the dense trees you could see the top of Mount Infinity. A black miasma swirled about its crown and you could feel an evil stare radiating from it.

"An evil monster is squattin' in the church up there," Justin explained. "That's who sent the gang of Hagurumon after you when you got too close."

"What for?"

"You guys and the Digimon are like superheroes in this world. You thrash villains and rescue the guys they been abusing. The punk up there is hopin' to stall you or get you to give up until he can get strong enough to kill ya."

That was sobering. No matter how tough your childhood was, no one had ever outright wanted to kill you. It made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

"You gotta get back up there. Don't let nothin' distract you. It's not just this world but also ours that's relyin' on you."

"But Jus…" This was the perfect chance to voice your fears. "There's this weird darkness following me. It keeps draining the energy from the other Digimon and I'm startin' to think I'm the one causing it. If I am, can I really take the chance of being around the others? I might get them killed."

Your brother nodded thoughtfully. "I know, but I can't tell you what to do anymore. You gotta look inside yourself. But I believe in you."

Suddenly there was an odd noise - it sounded like the ringing of a large bell. You flinched with surprise but your brother just nodded again.

"I need to go. My time's up."

"Wait!"

"I can't wait."

"Then just look." From your pocket you drew out the pocketknife that he'd given you years ago. You held it in your open palm so he could see it.

He smiled gently. "With that I'll always protect you."

Then he turned back into a thick patch of mist and the white haze closed in around you again.

You woke with a start and a yelp and Tsukaimon tumbled across the resting space. The others woke too and there was a moment of alarm as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.

"Sorry everybody. It's all okay, I just got woken up by something," you said sheepishly.

"Did you have a bad dream?" T.K. asked.

You thought about it briefly. The dream had slipped away though, just like the mist. "No… But I can't remember what it was about."

"You can't remember at all?" Gabumon inquired.

You shook your head. "No. But it was kinda sad."

Everyone settled down again and as you were drifting off you thought to yourself that you all would take on Mount Infinity when the sun rose. Something told you that time was getting short.


	14. Chapter 14:The Button to Reset the World

Chapter 14: The Button to Reset the World

It took hours to climb Mount Infinity the next day. This time there were no Golemon or clouds of Hagurumon chasing you down. Everything was calm and quiet.

Ironically that only made you all the more nervous as you neared the summit. T.K. and Kari stuck close to you and the Digimon, sensing the mood, took up defensive positions around you all.

Rounding the last rocky outcropping at the top of the path your eyes fell upon a temple. It was a wreck - half of it had been blasted away and there were holes punched in the remains of the walls left standing. The only part that appeared to be untouched was the set of double front doors. They were covered in relief friezes of masses of monsters reaching up towards a radiating light atop a craggy peak.

Slowly you walked up the battered steps and paused before the closed doors. This was what your whole journey had been leading up to. Your heart was racing.

Then you felt a small hand grip yours. You looked down in surprise.

"Don't be afraid Shar. We're right beside you," Kari said with a kind smile.

You looked to your other side as T.K. took your hand too. "Yeah, we've got your back!"

You returned the sentiments with a squeeze of their hands. "Okay. Let's do it!"

Suddenly the doors flew open in your face with a bang. Despite the lack of a ceiling, the inside was pitch black. Hatred and dark power oozed out from the ruins like a cold wind and raised goosebumps on your arms.

"Wait guys," Gatomon said. "We shouldn't go in there!"

"Then I'll come to you!" roared a voice from the bowels of the abyss and something came flying at you.

"Duck!" Your group dodged, narrowly avoiding the swing of a large silver hammer. It struck the stone of the courtyard and blasted out a chunk that flew over the edge and tumbled down the mountain's steep side.

The attacking monster turned back to face you all. It was a weird sight - like a huge alarm clock with a cloaked guy perched on top. He glared at you and raised the hammer again.

"That's Clockmon!" Agumon said. "He's a machine-type Digimon in charge of the flow of time in all computers. Don't make him mad unless you want to be a frozen statue for the rest of eternity!"

"My master has had enough of your interference, Digidestined!" Clockmon shouted. "Especially you, shadowkeeper! Now die!"

He rushed you with the hammer aiming for your skull. He was amazingly fast - you stumbled back and uttered a frightened scream. But your defenders were just as fast to intercept.

"Tsukaimon digivolve to - Devidramon!"

"Patamon digivolve to - Angemon!"

Devidramon slashed at Clockmon, only missing him by a hair when the machine Digimon stopped short.

"Back off, Clockmon! Or I'll clean your clock!" Devidramon snarled.

"That was awful," you commented at your partner.

"Agumon, Gabumon, you two stay here and protect the kids," Gatomon instructed. "We'll take care of Clockmon!"

"Right!"

"Got it!"

The three champions surrounded Clockmon. "All right Clockmon! What do you know about what's happening to the Digimon on the island?!" Gatomon demanded.

"And who is your master?" Angemon asked. "Is he the one making Digimon go wild?!"

"My master is the all-powerful king of the Dark Realm!" Clockmon announced. "To restore him to life I must turn the clock of the Digital World back to 0:00! And when he returns he shall reshape the land and seas in his own image!"

"That's what's going on!" Gatomon gasped. "Time is reversing! Digimon are reverting to their ancient wild mentality!"

"And the land is also becoming wilder in the same way!" Gabumon added.

"So we beat Clockmon and everything goes back to normal!" Devidramon snarled. "Me first! **Crimson Nail!** "

He lunged at Clockmon with his glowing red claws outstretched. But Clockmon didn't budge - instead he lifted his silver hammer and waited.

At the last moment he sidestepped the sharp talons and struck under Devidramon's defenses. His hammer sunk deeply into your partner's stomach with a loud thud and sent him sailing back to crash against one of the ruined walls.

"Devidramon!" you cried.

He stirred at your voice and his four eyes opened. "Ugh."

"Keep up your guard!" you advised. "He's faster than he looks!"

"Yeah, I won't make that mistake again," he growled and struggled back to his feet.

In the meantime Clockmon had targeted the other two. He rushed at Gatomon and tried to slam the hammer into her as he had Devidramon. She was much more nimble though and escaped the blows - each one punched a crater in the rock and rattled the whole peak. Angemon put himself in Clockmon's blind spot and attacked.

" **Hand of Fate!** "

The sizzling beam of energy barely missed Clockmon's body, though it succeeded in separating him from Gatomon. He took a few steps back, keeping both champions in view. Devidramon took this chance to attack from behind.

He was smarter this time and took to the air. Swooping down at Clockmon, he used his long tail to strike out at the mechanical monster. At first you thought he was trying to stab him with it but at the last second the tip opened up into three prongs. It grabbed at Clockmon who turned and tried to block it with his hammer handle.

Clockmon threw off the tail prongs and kept his guard up as Devidramon, Gatomon, and Angemon circled him again. All together they charged him.

" **Chrono Breaker!** " Clockmon struck the ground with his hammer and a glowing field expanded to surround the area around him. It swelled to engulf the partners and then unexpectedly fizzled out.

Left behind was a bubble of distortion; inside it you could make out the Digimon suspended in midair, frozen in the act of attacking. Then one figure moved - Clockmon bounded up and smashed his hammer into all three Digimon, knocking them out of the warped bubble. All three hit the ground with a crash and skidded, tearing up the courtyard stone with their passage.

"Gatomon!"

"Angemon!"

"Devidramon!"

"Shar, no!" Agumon and Gabumon hung onto your arms to keep you from rushing to your partner where he lay sprawled on the rock. "It's too dangerous!"

Then Clockmon struck again, jumping up and slamming his hammer down into Devidramon's exposed midsection. He convulsed in pain and cried out with an agonized roar.

" **Lightning Paw!** " Gatomon leaped to defend your friend, slashing at Clockmon's back. He dodged at the last second though and the cat Digimon wound up bouncing off Devidramon's chest with a yowl.

Angemon zoomed to intercept Clockmon before he could renew his assault and swung his staff; the blow was countered by Clockmon's hammer and sparks showered across the pitted stone.

"We will stop you!" the angel Digimon declared. "You and your dark master shall not be allowed to claim this world!"

"You cannot hope to stand against us!" Clockmon raged. "Already the wilds and the fathoms surge and gather to my master's call!"

He swung wide, dislodging Angemon and brought his hammer down. " **Chrono Breaker!** "

Again a shining bubble swelled to wrap itself around Angemon and he was left frozen. Just like before Clockmon attacked the helpless partner and sent him crashing to the ground.

Time and again the three champions attacked Clockmon but were repelled, often painfully. It didn't appear to make a difference if they charged together or separately - the mechanical monster's blast radiated out in 360 degrees to immobilize all attempts and his counters had the force of steel. You could clearly see that the three were tiring while Clockmon showed no fatigue.

You weren't the only one to notice.

"T.K. and Kari, we may need to join the fight," Agumon said. "They're struggling!"

"If we do, you have to run down the mountain and get away," Gabumon said. "We can't fight and guard you too."

"But what can you do?" Kari asked. "Without Tai and Matt you can't digivolve!"

"But we can still fight!" Agumon declared.

Suddenly a thunderclap echoed across the mountaintop and a dark vortex appeared circling around Clockmon. From within came a vicious hissing voice. "Enough of this pointless dance! Finish them now!"

"Yes, Master!" The air surrounding Clockmon began to hum with power and he raised his hammer above his head. " **Chrono Breaker!** "

A powerful blast consumed the three champion partners and they cried out with pain. Then the light cleared, and you stared horrified at the unconscious bodies of the rookies. Somehow Clockmon had reversed their digivolution!

"Without their Digimon, humans are helpless!" shouted the dark vortex. "I will destroy the weaklings and finish off the humans at my leisure! Then nothing will be able to stop my rebirth!"

Lifting his hammer Clockmon stalked toward Tsukaimon, his intent obvious. The vortex followed like a cloud.

"We need to do something!" T.K. cried.

"Let's go, Gabumon!" Agumon and Gabumon leaped from their position protecting you and the kids and charged at Clockmon, firing their breath attacks. It slowed their opponent, buying you a few precious moments.

"What do we do?!" Kari asked. "How can we beat them?!"

"If I ever wished I could control those ground shadows, I sure wish it was now!" you said, more to yourself than either of the others. "Maybe then I could be of some use!"

"Try, Shar!" Kari replied.

"We know you can do it!" T.K. added.

"Okay. I'll try!" You shut your eyes and concentrated, willing that shadow power to come out of the ground to protect you all. Then you heard a yelp and reopened them.

T.K. and Kari had drawn closer to you as the fluid darkness manifested and began to flow counterclockwise around your group. It licked up at you, coming close but never quite daring to touch.

"It's okay," you told them. "I… I think I've got it." You slowly reached out a hand and the darkness rose up to lick about your fingers and wrist. "Not that I know what to do with it."

Then twin thuds caught your attention - Agumon and Gabumon had been thrown violently to the ground, defeated like the others. Again Clockmon advanced menacingly on the weakened Digimon.

You felt a rush of adrenaline and in that same second you realized what to do with the power. You called up the darkness with your will and directed it at Clockmon.

Straight as an arrow it raced. At the last moment the dark atmosphere surrounding and protecting Clockmon retreated, leaving him exposed.

The black swell engulfed him, wrapping and immobilizing his limbs. From within came a bellow of rage and the miasma overhead shrieked in kind. "NO!"

Your darkness swarmed furiously over Clockmon - and then abruptly he was gone. The darkness dropped back to the ground but it wasn't dormant. Instead it spiraled even faster and shot out towards Agumon and Gabumon.

There was a great resounding boom as the darkness wrapped around them both and your digivice activated with an electronic whine.

"Agumon digivolve to - BlackGreymon!"

"Gabumon digivolve to - BlackGarurumon!"

Agumon and Gabumon had digivolved with the help of your darkness! Agumon had become an enormous two-legged dark blue dinosaur with black stripes and a three-horned black helmet, while Gabumon had transformed into a huge black wolf with light grey stripes and piercing amber eyes.

Both let out exclamations of surprise. "We digivolved! Without Tai and Matt!"

T.K. and Kari were equally amazed. "They digivolved! But how?"

"NO!" screamed the shapeless enemy. "This is NOT HAPPENING!"

"Greymon! What happened to you?!" BlackGarurumon cried.

"To me? What happened to you?!" BlackGreymon replied.

"DIE!" roared the vortex. It swooped down onto BlackGreymon and BlackGarurumon, wrapping them in a dark mist. The two of them cringed as if they'd been caught in a tight net. Then it moved towards you.

"Very clever, shadowkeeper. You've figured out what your power can do. But even as I am now, my power dwarfs yours. I will crush you Digidestined and your Digimon - then nothing can stop my domination of this island!"

It lashed out at you but your fear had gone now and anger had replaced it. This was the monster that'd dogged you all since you'd come to this world! You'd been attacked, kidnapped, and scared practically nonstop for days! But most infuriating, this jerk had gotten you to doubt yourself. It'd actually made you think that you weren't worthy of trust and that you would hurt those around you!

Your anger fed into your shadows and they stabbed at the vortex; it quickly dodged, probably to avoid the same fate as Clockmon. At the same time, your shadows latched onto the eerie mist around BlackGreymon and BlackGarurumon, absorbing it and freeing them.

"I'll protect the kids!" you shouted. "Stop whatever that is! Destroy it!"

"No problem!" BlackGreymon bellowed. " **Black Nova Blast!** "

He fired a huge black fireball at the vortex, but the gas split and it missed completely. Then BlackGarurumon jumped into the fight. " **Howling Freeze Fang!** "

A burst of lavender and white breath erupted from the wolf's mouth and lashed at the overhanging miasma. It danced along the edges of the attack and laughter echoed down.

As the wolf and the dinosaur kept the evil cloud engaged, you stood ready to call up your shadows if it threatened you or the kids again. Then you saw movement in the corner of your eye and your heart jumped with panic - but it was only Patamon, Tsukaimon, and… Gatomon?

"Tsukai, who is that?" you asked as the trio flew towards you.

"I'm Salamon," the new tan Digimon replied. "The rookie form of Gatomon."

"Don't worry, she'll be back to Gatomon in no time," Kari assured you.

You nodded and then held out your arms to Tsukaimon. He landed and you quickly checked him over for any injuries. He was fine.

"Can Agumon and Gabumon really beat that thing?" T.K. wondered.

"Can anything?" Salamon said.

"They can," you insisted. "I gave them all the help I could."

You all watched the battle: BlackGreymon fired giant blasts of fire as BlackGarurumon leapt about breathing ice at the enemy's weak spots. They were amazing, landing blows and dodging counterattacks - well, BlackGarurumon dodged while BlackGreymon took the knocks on the chin and dished them back out. But there was no change to the black cloud - it stayed the same size and showed no effects from the attacks.

"It's not working," Tsukaimon said urgently. "Those two aren't enough!"

"But what else can we do?" you said, wracking your brains for an idea. You had been so sure that this would be enough!

"Make me digivolve!" ordered Tsukaimon. "I'll win this!"

"No," you replied as you seized upon an idea. "Patamon."

The orange mammal Digimon looked up at you startled. You put on a firm expression and met his wide eyes. "If we want to beat darkness, we need some light. And an angel is the best source of light that I can think of. Can you digivolve?"

"I… think so," he answered. "I'm tired but -"

"I can give you a little boost," you reassured him as you judged the strength of your shadows. "Just use it wisely."

"Right!" Patamon took to the air and your powers surged to follow. "Patamon digivolve to - Angemon!"

"Let's all attack together!" BlackGreymon declared as Angemon joined them to face down the vortex. "We'll blast it to bits!"

" **Howling Freeze Fang!** "

" **Black Nova Blast!** "

" **Hand of Fate!** "

The three attacks converged on the heart of the vicious ether. You saw it bunch up, probably in an attempt to dodge.

Suddenly Kari grabbed your arm. "Shar! Block above it!"

"Help me!"

Kari's grip tightened and you felt a bit more energy combine with your shadows. You sent it racing into the air.

It just made it. As the evil cloud tried to flow upwards, your shadows blocked its path and it quickly retreated back into the Digimons' line of fire.

All three blasts were true and they hit all at the same time with a deafening explosion. The vortex screamed as it was consumed in a ball of molten light - then it evaporated in a second, even louder blast.

The three champions were thrown to the ground, as were you and the kids. The burst of air also flattened what was left of the temple and swept the mountaintop clean of debris. Thick, black clouds that had gathered overhead during the battle were ripped apart and a brilliant sun shone down. Then there was silence.


	15. Chapter 15: A Call From Fate

Chapter 15: A Call From Fate

You lifted your head from its resting place, cradled by your arm. Grit showered out of your hair and the rough stone of the courtyard rubbed against your stomach through your shirt. The brilliant sun made you squint as you surveyed the blasted mountaintop.

You and the two kids had tumbled forward onto the ground, you with your one arm across them, trying your best to protect them. Tsukaimon and Salamon lay nearby, thrown free of yours and Kari's grip by the blast - they began to stir as soon as you spotted them.

"Tsukai," you croaked and coughed up dust.

He opened his big green eyes in response to your voice. "Shar…"

You moved to push yourself up with your hands so that you could get on your feet, but discovered that you were overcome by weakness. After nearly collapsing, you slowed your movements and made it unsteadily up off of the ground. Slowly stumbling to Tsukaimon, you sat heavily beside him and lifted him into your arms. Dust had coated him and you swiped a hand over his head and back to try to clear it.

There were footsteps and murmuring nearby as Kari and T.K. comforted their partners as well while Agumon and Gabumon picked themselves up from where they'd fallen and moved closer. Each of them looked just as tired as you felt.

"Is everybody okay?" you called, punctuating your question with another cough.

A chorus of affirmatives answered you and you breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm exhausted!" Agumon groaned and he flopped down beside you.

"All my strength left me after that last attack," Gabumon added, settling himself onto the ground with somewhat more grace than Agumon.

"Same here," you agreed. "I guess we reached the end of the energy I got from Clockmon."

"What should we do now?" Kari asked.

You looked around at the mountaintop, taking in the ruined temple, the bare courtyard, and the cloudless sky overhead. There was no danger here now.

"I think our first priority is to rest and eat something," you suggested. "We seem to be safe, and some rest and food should make us feel better."

Everyone eagerly agreed and you passed out food from T.K.'s backpack. Unfortunately it was really only enough for a light snack, and being on a mountaintop there wasn't any foraging in sight. You made a mental note that you all would need to hunt for food right away after leaving the mountain.

After eating the group simply sat and relaxed, soaking up the warm sun and enjoying the scenic view across the island. In no time at all you felt better and you saw the Digimon perk up too. The sight was enormous reassurance for you after the memories of previous issues with your shadow power and especially after seeing the effect on Clockmon. You'd never forgive yourself if you hurt the brave Digimon, even by mistake.

"How are you feeling, Patamon?" you asked once the worst of the exhaustion was gone.

"I feel much better!" he replied in his usual bubbly voice.

"My shadows didn't… hurt… did they?"

"They felt funny but they didn't hurt."

"Really?"

"They didn't hurt at all."

You checked with Agumon and Gabumon as well, and upon getting the same answer you sighed with relief again. The whole energy transfer thing had just been a hunch after all.

Then out of the corner of your eye you spotted Tsukaimon. He was sitting a short distance away and seemed to be glaring at you - without warning you snapped your head around to meet his eyes and confirmed it. A look of fury was contorting his face and you suspected he might be growling. Your sudden movement made him jump but he held your gaze with a defiant expression.

"Okay, Tsukai," you said in a low voice so as not to draw an audience. "What's with the attitude?"

He responded with just a grunt but you kept watching him patiently. That alone was enough to goad him into elaborating. "I still don't see why you gave Patamon energy instead of me! I would've sliced that cloud into little bitty bits! And then I would've set those bits on fire!"

Well, so much for resolving his grievance privately. His shouting was plain to hear.

"I already explained why," you said in the same patient tone. "To beat evil darkness we needed holy light. You might be strong, but as Devidramon you're not a force of light."

"Hmph." Tsukaimon crossed his stubby arms and turned away with a pout. "I still could've done it."

"Look Tsukaimon," you began in a firmer tone, determined to make him adjust his attitude. But a sudden strange noise interrupted you.

It began as a whining screech, making you and the other kids jump. You quickly scrambled to your feet and pinpointed the source of the sound: a small, round something on the ground. It looked sort of like a spotlight with a metal socket plugged directly into the rock of the mountain. The whine grew more intense - you could feel the vibrations coming up through the soles of your feet - then it diminished and a beam of light burst up from the device. And within that beam of light appeared… an old man?

That might just be the strangest thing you'd seen yet.

"Hello, children. It's been a long time," the old man said.

The greeting confused you but T.K. and Kari both responded in your place. "It's Gennai!"

"Who?" you asked.

"Gennai is an old man who lives in the Digital World," T.K. explained. "He helped us a lot when we were here before. He's really wise."

"But he's also a little odd," Patamon added.

As you absorbed this new information, Gennai started to speak again. "It seems you've stopped Clockmon from sending File Island back to the Stone Age. Well done!"

"Um, thank you?" You were getting a weird vibe from this Gennai person. Should you trust him?

"Gennai, where's Matt?"

"And where's my brother? Where's Tai?"

"Calm yourselves, children. The other Digidestined landed safely on Server Continent. I've directed them towards the coast to meet you when you arrive here."

"But wait," Kari said. "Why were T.K., Shar, and I sent to File Island if everyone else is on Server?"

Gennai chuckled to himself. "It appears that a force on the Net specifically directed you all to the Island. I suspect something knew that you three were most needed there."

"And how are we supposed to get to Server?" you asked. "I'm guessing that there aren't any ferries or planes that make the trip."

Gennai bowed his head. "Unfortunately that's a problem that you'll have to solve on your own."

Suddenly an alarming hiss ripped through the air and Gennai's image dissolved into static before going blank. You, the kids, and the Digimon were left alone on Mount Infinity again.

There was a moment of silence as you all watched the hologram-phone expectantly, waiting for Gennai to reappear. He didn't though, and eventually Kari broke the quiet.

"What do we do now?"

Seven sets of eyes focused on you and you felt the familiar weight of responsibility land firmly on your shoulders. You tried to ignore the pressure and concentrate on the priorities. You all weren't ready for any kind of journey at the moment; until that time the problem of traveling to Server could wait.

You explained the reasoning to the group. "Our first goal should still be to find food. We're not going to last long otherwise."

Everyone agreed and you moved on to your second point. "I also think we need to rest."

"But-" Agumon began to protest.

"Just a day or two," you amended. "We just had a huge battle and we're tired. And if we're going to be traveling and encountering who knows how many monsters, you Digimon will need to be back to full strength."

"She makes a good point," Gatomon added. "I could definitely use a catnap."

Agumon reluctantly gave in and you saw similar emotions on the faces of the kids and Gabumon. Obviously they were most eager to get to Tai and Matt. And though you felt bad for disappointing them, you weren't going to lead them off half-cocked and wind up in a bad situation.

"Once we've gotten together food and water and we're rested, then we can start the trip to Server," you summarized.

"But how will we get there?" Kari asked, echoing your question to Gennai.

"Let's start brainstorming," you proposed. "We can think while we descend down the mountain and gather food."

With that you all left Infinity Mountain for the last time.


	16. Chapter 16: Journey to the West

Chapter 16: Journey to the West

You, the kids, and the Digimon set about the onerous job of gathering food. There was added pressure this time - instead of just collecting enough for a day or two you had to intentionally plan to feed your entire group for two weeks. No one was exactly sure how long it would take to reach Server but you figured that two weeks' worth would be enough. With luck there would be stops along the way where more foraging could be found, but you were planning conservatively.

Quickly locating several bunches of Power Bananas, you plucked them and started roasting them. Leaving Agumon and Gabumon to watch so the bananas wouldn't burn, you and the others went searching for other tasty goodies.

Luck was with you - this part of the forest had Diode Mushrooms growing on the roots of nearly every tree. In addition there were evergreen bushes galore, their branches weighed down heavily by fruits the size of your fist. Tsukaimon pointed them out excitedly, calling them Inductor Berries. He said that the ripe red ones were a delicious sweet-tart flavor but advised against eating the unripe yellow-green ones. You eagerly gathered the reddest of the berries and brought them back to the fire.

The meal was great. You hadn't been this full in days. And there were still some rations left over afterwards to be put towards your eventual trip.

"So Shar, do you have any ideas about how to get to Server?" Agumon asked.

"A couple," you replied. "I thought we might be able to make a raft for the crossing…"

"We did that last time," T.K. interrupted. "It didn't work so well though. Sea Digimon attacked us and destroyed the raft."

"Yeah, I was concerned about that," you mused. "My other thought was that we could fly…"

"It's a long distance though," Gabumon worried. "And only Patamon and Tsukaimon can fly after digivolving."

"Hmm," you hummed as you absently patted your partner's head. "Our only other option would be to get a sea Digimon to take us across."

"I bet Whamon could do it!" Kari announced.

"Who?"

"Whamon is a huge whale Digimon that lives in the ocean!" she elaborated. "He's a good friend and helped us defeat the Dark Masters."

"But Whamon could be anywhere in the ocean," Gatomon said. "How would we contact him?"

No one had any suggestions for that either. Personally, you were more inclined towards flying to make the trip. The ocean surface could be dangerous - rogue waves, sea predators, and storms could threaten a small raft or an oceangoing Digimon. Bu Tsukaimon and Patamon couldn't be expected to digivolve and carry you all for days without resting. What to do?

"Your Highness!" From out of the underbrush floated a Bakemon. It smiled widely when it spotted your group. "At last we've found you!"

Two more followed the first and they all gathered by your group. Clearly their proximity was making everyone but you nervous - all of the partners moved to put themselves between the ghost Digimon and the kids. Tsukaimon in fact took up position hovering directly above you, ready to swoop down on the Bakemon if they made any false moves.

"Hi Bakemon!" you said cheerfully. "How are you?"

"We're well, Highness. But we were concerned about you when that explosion on Mount Infinity occurred. Are you all right?"

"We're fine," you replied. "Though we have a bit of a problem." Briefly you described your predicament of traveling to Server.

"We can assist, Highness!" the Bakemon cried excitedly. "On the western side of the island, on cliffs overlooking the sea, there is a mysterious shop. Rumor has it that the owner travels from Server each month so he will surely know how you can get there!"

"Really?!" you cried excitedly.

"That's wonderful!" Kari had such a look of joy on her face and a loud cheer went up from the others.

"Let's hurry over there!" Gatomon said. "We can keep collecting food on the way."

"Wait! One last thing!" The three Bakemon gathered together and after a minute of rustling they turned around again. Hanging between them was another tattered white sheet almost identical to the ones they wore. "This is for you, Highness."

You stood and moved closer, reaching out to take the cloth from the Digimon. It was thick and rough; now that you could examine it you saw that it wasn't a flat sheet but was instead a sort of hooded coat. The hood had two black eyes sewed to the top and a row of cloth teeth attached to the edge - when you wore it you'd look like a Bakemon with a person in its mouth!

"Oh, wow!" You held it up and smiled at it admiringly. "I love it!"

The Bakemon were overjoyed. "We're so glad! We made it so that the Bakemon all across the DigiWorld will know their Queen when they see her. Wear it with pride!"

"I will!" You slipped the coat on, leaving the hood down, and studied its fit with mild surprise. The sleeves stretched past the tips of your fingers and its tattered length just brushed the ground.

You said nothing about it though. 'I'll grow into it no doubt.'

"Wow, Shar," Kari said. "You look just like a Bakemon!"

"Think so?" You flipped up the hood - it was large enough so that it covered the entire top half of your face. "WooOOoooo! I'm spooky!"

Everyone chuckled and they seemed to be more relaxed with the Bakemon now. Your group offered them food but they refused. They had to get back to the Dark Mansion to let the rest know that their queen was safe. And your group had to start towards the western end of the island.

"Good luck, your Highness!"

~ Two Days of Travel Later~

Your group sat patiently beneath a stunted thorny tree as the sun blazed overhead. Having left the forest and crossed the foothills of a volcanic mountain (you'd nearly run screaming into the ocean until you were told that it was dormant) you all had found yourselves on the boundary of a hot dry savanna. But just like with the canyon area, by the time the sun was nearing the top of its arc in the sky the temperature out in the open was unbearable. Quickly you located a spot of shade and directed everyone to settle down until the evening came.

"I'm pretty sure this is the west side of the island," you said as you studied the sun's position. "Now we just need to find the cliffs."

"I think they're over there," Gabumon said with a point. "I can smell the ocean."

"Great!" you said. "Once the sun gets lower we'll check it out."

You all dozed and chatted until the sun's descent turned the landscape a deep golden hue. As you surmised, west was directly out across the water. The sun threw brilliant darts of light off of the gentle waves, making you squint.

The savanna wasn't completely flat: pylons of rock and plateaus edged the shoreline and framed the low mountains on the inland side. You all made your way along the low part of the grassland in the middle, looking for a gap to reach the cliffs. There had to be one, otherwise how would Gabumon have smelled the ocean?

The wind guided you. Gusts through the gap in the stone gave away the path to the sea. It was just big enough for you to fit through and you carefully crept along with your back to the stone.

At the end of the path was a wide cliff-top overlooking the western ocean and the sunset. It was thickly carpeted by grass, except for odd pipes and other metallic bits poking out of the rock, and set up on the cliff's edge was a huge tent. At the front were two display tables covered in food items and other weird assortments, and behind the counter stood a short cloaked Digimon.

Your group attracted its attention immediately. "Good evening, strange creatures! Have you come far?"

"Hello!" T.K. and Kari replied together.

"What can I interest you in?" the owner asked, moving up behind the counters with a smile. "I have amazing artifacts from all across the continents as well as the tastiest produce that can grow from our Mother DigiWorld. Please take a look!"

All of you exchanged an apprehensive look. None of you had any money, either to buy items or information.

"Im sorry," you said, biting the bullet to give the bad news, "but we don't have any money to buy anything. We actually came to ask you something."

As expected the shop owner wasn't happy to hear that. His smile vanished and his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Just my luck," he grumbled.

He turned away to fuss with some of his wares. "Begone. I do not give out charity."

"Oh, come on!" Tsukaimon barked. "It's an easy question!"

"We just need to know how to get to Server!" Gatomon snapped.

The merchant glanced back at you thoughtfully. "I see. And what is that information worth to you?"

"We don't have any money," you repeated. "What could we give you?"

He hummed and thought. "We might be able to arrange a trade. What do you carry?"

You gathered the others into a huddle to discuss the options. "What can we spare?"

"We have our food supplies," Patamon suggested.

"Maybe," Agumon said. "But we'll need that for the journey."

T.K. and Kari searched their pockets but only came up with lint and scraps of paper. Your mind briefly fell on your pocketknife and lock-picking kit but you couldn't possibly trade those. The only other thing you could think of was your glasses - but your mom would kill you when you got back home.

"Ah, wait!" Gabumon said excitedly. "On Mount Panorama I found some healing herbs! We can try that."

He dug into the bag and pulled out a wrapped bundle of thin woody stalks. You pushed him to approach the proprietor. He presented the bundle, explaining what it was, and you saw the cloaked Digimon's eyes widen.

"That's - Certainly, I'll tell you what you want to know in exchange for that!"

It turned out that the shop-owner was able to travel to and from File Island by way of a line of scattered atolls reaching across the waters. He used a boat but said that flying Digimon could easily make the hops as well. All that you needed to do was to keep heading northwest and you would find each of the stops.

"By boat it takes about ten days but if you fly that should cut the time in half," the hooded Digimon finished. "Just remember to keep going northwest."


End file.
